This month we are heading back to Marlborough, to visit Bladen Wines. It’s one of the first wineries to be planted in Marlborough, and to this day is still owned and operated by the original owners, Christine and Dave Macdonald, and their children Blair and Deni.
HISTORY
Bladen Wines all started with bare piece of Marlborough land, a big dream, a lot of hard work… Chris and Dave digging the holes by hand to plant their very first vines. Back in 1989, Marlborough was still finding its feet as a wine region. There were only a handful of wineries around, but the Macdonalds believed this special piece of land had something worth sharing.
No shortcuts. No guarantees. Just a belief in the land, a love for wine, and the determination to build something from the ground up. 35+ years later, those first vines have grown into Bladen Wines — still family owned, still proudly Marlborough, and still driven by the same passion that started it all. And every bottle has a story!
THE BLADEN PHILOSOPHY
Bladen has always been a family story. Founded by Chris and Dave Macdonald (Mum and Dad), the brand was built on a belief that hard work, patience and respect for the land would produce wines with authenticity and integrity. Today that philosophy continues to guide everything they do, from caring for their vines to welcoming visitors through their cellar door.
If someone opens a bottle of Bladen on the other side of the world and feels like they’ve spent an evening around our dinner table in Marlborough, then we’ve done our job.
They host their tastings, walking through the very vines that produced the wine in their glass. Their ambition has never been to become the biggest producer in Marlborough. Instead, they focus on creating wines with a genuine sense of place, sharing them with people around the world and ensuring that every bottle reflects the family, vineyard and region from which it came.
Find out more about the Bladen Wines Family here: https://www.bladen.co.nz/family
THE VINEYARD
Bladen is the family vineyard, planted by their parents in 1989 on Conders Bend Road, Central Wairau Valley. They have always believed that exceptional wine is grown, not made. The vineyard sits on an ancient alluvial riverbed, where free-draining stony soils naturally limit vine vigour and encourage deep root systems. Combined with Marlborough’s long sunshine hours, cool nights and dry growing season, these conditions produce fruit with remarkable purity, concentration and natural balance.
Rather than chasing yields, they focus on balanced vines, healthy soils and a thriving microbiome. The result is fruit with purity, concentration and natural balance that they’re incredibly proud to grow. Mature vines, careful canopy management and selective harvesting allow each block to express its own character, resulting in wines that are vibrant, elegant and unmistakably Bladen.
VITICULTURE & WINEMAKING
The management of their vineyard has already passed through one generation, and the plan is to pass it down as long as they can. Their thinking is simple: every decision they make today shapes the vineyard for future generations. Building healthy soils has become a central focus of Blair’s vineyard philosophy.
Diverse cover crops help improve soil structure, encourage biodiversity and naturally contribute nutrients back into the soil, while careful management practices promote resilient vines that require fewer interventions over time. Every season brings its own challenges, but their approach remains consistent: observe carefully, work with nature wherever possible, and intervene only when necessary. The result is healthier vineyards, better fruit and wines that genuinely reflect where they are grown.
The Bladen’s role in the winery is to guide rather than dominate. They make their wine at The Coterie, just a kilometre down the road. It’s a small batch, collaborative winemaking facility that tools down and eats lunch together. There’s a special environment they have crafted up there thanks to the friendly dogs following you round, the laughs and the wines. It’s exactly the sort of place they wanted making their wines. At harvest, the focus is on getting fruit to the winery in the cool of the early morning, in pristine condition and at optimal ripeness.
Small-batch fermentations, thoughtful yeast selection (they do love a wild ferment too!) and patient maturation allow each parcel to retain its individual character while building texture and complexity.
At Bladen they believe balance is more important than power. Freshness, elegance and longevity are the hallmarks of their wines. They’d much rather each vintage tell its own story than chase perfect consistency. Every season is different, and that’s exactly what keeps them excited about making wine.
WINE VARIETIES
The Bladen’s focus has always been about creating wines for their own table. Wines that match their food, their palates and their energy. Mum and Dad Bladen planted Alsatian aromatics such as Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewurztraminer when they got here because that’s what they wanted to drink!
Pinot Gris was planted in 1989 on its own roots from cuttings sourced from Dry River making them the oldest Pinot Gris vines in Marlborough. The Eight Rows of Riesling (planted the same year) stand in the boniest corner of their 8ha block, right in front of the Cellar Door. They love picking it early and fermenting it dry, always chasing the memory of Blair’s very first sip of wine (which might explain his unwavering love affair with Rizza).
The mighty GewurzTraminer; no matter how hard their folks tried, they just couldn’t get fruit they were proud of; so, it was pulled out when dear friends Keven and Kerry Tilly offered to plant a little 0.5ha corner of their Southern Valleys vineyard for Bladen in 2001. They jumped at the opportunity and they have been part of the Bladen story ever since!
Suckers for challenging varieties, Pinot Noir found its way into their soils in 1994. Less than 1 hectare means they get to (have to) decide each year whether they want to create an elegant and mature Pinot, or a fun and vibrant Pinot Noir Rosé. It’s planted a little denser than the rest of the block and handpicked around 5 t/ha on average.
Sauvignon Blanc remains the signature Bladen wine. Three separate plantings now have vines aged 14, 20 and 30 years. Each block is harvested and fermented separately, using a combination of cultured and wild yeasts, different fermentation temperatures and a range of vessels. The result is a blending palette that delivers both precision and complexity while retaining the vibrant aromatics Marlborough is famous for.
They also produce the Five Barrels Fumé Blanc from just two rows in the East Block. Hand-picked with extended hang time before a wild fermentation in French oak (20% new), it’s a nod to the Old World and produced only in tiny quantities.
The Bladen’s aim is never to make wines that shout the loudest. Instead, they strive for wines with purity, texture and balance. Wines that are exciting on release but possess the structure to evolve gracefully with time.
Shop Bladen wines here: https://www.bladen.co.nz/shop
To read JB’s notes on six of the Bladen wines, scroll down…
CELLAR DOOR & TASTINGS
Visit the Bladen Cellar Door – Taste & Tour – Sip wines in the vines while they share their stories of trials and tribulations over the 3 decades they have spent on the land that their parents planted. Their approach to wine: passion, generosity and laughter!
They will show you at least 6 wines in their humble cellar door and a walk through the East Block. Afterwards, you’re welcome to pick your favourite and enjoy it the garden. (Cellar Door reopens 26 October.)
To find out more about Bladen Wines and purchase wine, visit:
https://www.bladen.co.nz/home
JB’s NOTES
Bladen Wines Sauvignon Blanc 2024, Marlborough NZ
In the glass, glossy pale yellow-gold in colour. In the nose, vibrant & enticing, aromas of fresh stone-fruit, tropical / gooseberry & citrus, green herb / capsicum notes too. On the palate, crisp & bright, flavours of passion-fruit, guava & lemon, with a ‘grape-fruity’ acidity, subtle wet-stone grip & nicely textured / rounded mouthfeel, a hint of sweetness on the finish. Delicious.
Bladen Wines ‘Old Block’ SV Pinot Gris 2025, Marlborough NZ
In the Glass, shiny pale straw in colour, a faint green hue, medium viscosity. In the nose, aromas of fresh pear & white peach, a hint of spice & sweet honey notes. On the palate, crunchy pear, stone-fruit & melon flavours, off-dry with a refreshing acidity, grippy ‘pear skin’ & light oily textural elements all adding interest. Long full-flavoured & juicy finish.
Bladen Wines ‘Eight Rows’ SV Riesling 2024, Marlborough NZ
In the glass, glossy pale straw, green-gold in colour, medium viscosity. In the nose, inviting aromas of lemon & lime citrus, granny smith apple & honeysuckle. On the palate tart lemon – lime citrus & crunchy green apple fruit flavours reflecting the nose, a grippy lime zest acidity & subtle wet-stone textures adding complexity. Vibrant, concentrated & juicy finish.
Bladen Wines ‘Tilly Vineyard’ Gewurztraminer 2025, Marlborough NZ
In the glass, bright & clear straw gold in colour with lovely legs! In the nose, perfumed & floral with aromas of tropical fruit & spice, ginger & nougat? On the palate it’s medium weighted with a silky texture & luscious mouthfeel, flavours reflecting the nose with Turkish delight (sans chocolate coating) & ginger spice predominant, nice heat from 14% abv. and a long succulent, very tasty finish.
Bladen Wines ‘Five Barrels’ Sauvignon Blanc 2023, Marlborough NZ
In the glass, shiny medium yellow gold in colour with subtle green hues. In the nose, aromas of apple, citrus, stone-fruit & caramel popcorn. On the palate, flavours of lemons & tropical mango, nectarine, smoky & spice notes. It’s creamy with a fresh acidity & subtle oak / malo / lees influence all in harmony, beautifully textured resulting in a lengthy & concentrated dry finish. Love wild, barrel fermented & oak aged savvies like this.
Bladen Wines Bladen Vineyard Pinot Noir 2024 Marlborough NZ
In the glass, translucent raspberry to ruby-red in colour, lighter at the rim. In the nose, quite savoury, aromas of smoke & earth at first, then red & dark berry & spices. On the palate, ripe & rich, flavours of dark berries, cherries, plums. Medium weighted with silky tannins / refreshing acidity & lovely savoury oak / spice notes. Long dry, moreish & sensuous – a classy Pinot.