Blank Canvas
Blank Canvas
Founded in 2013 by Master of Wine Sophie Parker-Thomson and international winemaking consultant Matt Thomson, Blank Canvas is one of Marlborough's most exciting labels to emerge in the past decade. Sophie and Matt have amassed a phenomenal amount of knowledge in the wine industry: together, they have 46 years of collective global wine experience and 65 harvests in the Northern and Southern hemispheres under their belt. This experience forms the inspirational backbone for Blank Canvas.
Single vineyard expressions
Blank Canvas represents Matt and Sophie’s desire to create distinctive small-batch, single-vineyard fine wines that reflect the best sub-regional sites across Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay, and Central Otago. Today, the winery showcases nine exceptional vineyards chosen not only for their suitability for the varieties they are nurturing—with the right soil, microclimate, and inherent high quality—but also because they are tended by people with a fervent desire to grow great wine, not just grapes. The growers all live on their vineyards and have a long-term, sustainable commitment to their land. Their fruit goes into single-vineyard wines that they can truly call their own and of which they are extremely proud.
Art and science in unity
The winemaking philosophy embraces using as little manipulation as possible to uphold, over everything else, the wine’s sense of place. While their winemaking influence from the Old World is genuine — reflected in the restraint and elegance of the wines — they start with a 'blank canvas' for every vineyard with the aim of reflecting individuality and character in each vintage. Today, Blank Canvas has received significant acclaim from esteemed critics, including top marks across their range from Jancis Robinson, Rebecca Gibb MW, and James Suckling, marking their arrival on the international radar. In 2024, Blank Canvas officially claimed the 18th position among all New Zealand wineries on the Top 20 New Zealand Wineries 2024 list.
One of the Top 20 Wineries in New Zealand
The Top Wineries of New Zealand List for 2024 was released by leading Australasian wine publication The Real Review. In 2024 Blank Canvas made the list’s coveted Top 20, officially claiming the 18th position overall out of all New Zealand wineries, sitting alongside well-established names such as Felton Road (#1), Ata Rangi (#4), Craggy Range (#5) and Pyramid Valley (#11). According to the ranking, this therefore places Blank Canvas in the top few percent of New Zealand’s finest wine producers. This is an improvement of four places from last year’s #22 and inclusion in this year’s list means that Blank Canvas has made the list every year since its inception seven years ago.
Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay, Central Otago, New Zealand
Marlborough
Situated in the north-eastern corner of the South Island, Marlborough produces 69% of the national harvest and 90% of New Zealand’s Sauvignon Blanc. While the region is most commonly associated with Sauvignon Blanc, it is also well-suited to any variety where fruit intensity is key. The climate here is on the cooler side, but Marlborough is also dry and sunny, producing excellent Rieslings, Pinot Noirs, and Chardonnays. The combination of sunshine and cool nights means Marlborough’s wines have plenty of fruit flavour backed by high levels of natural acidity. These marked diurnal temperature fluctuations give the wines their incredible vibrancy and freshness. Almost as important are the area’s soils, the best of which are on old gravel-strewn riverbeds. The best vineyards are shallow, free-draining, and low in fertility, especially in an area where vines can produce large, vigorous crops.
Hawke’s Bay
Three-quarters of Syrah plantings are found in Hawke’s Bay. The region is the opposite of the Rhône, as the vines are largely grown on the flats that spread inland from the sea rather than on the hillsides. It is the fruit basket of New Zealand—warm and sunny, with meandering paths of four rivers that have laid down more than 20 different soil types. However, Hawke’s Bay is not associated with a single style in the way that Marlborough has become synonymous with Sauvignon Blanc; the region is well known for its Bordeaux blends and Chardonnays as well.
Central Otago
Central Otago is remarkable in many ways. Its vineyards are the southernmost in the world, sitting right on the edge of possibility. The region experiences hot summers and very cold winters, with significant diurnal variation during the growing season. At latitude 45° south, there are two more hours of daylight in summer than in Auckland, and solar radiation is 11% higher than at the northern grape-growing latitude of 50° north. The Earth is simply closer to the sun during the southern hemisphere’s growing season. Central Otago receives 40% more UV light than expected for its latitude, which helps explain the deep colour of many Central Otago Pinots, as the grape skins thicken in response. The vines here get more than enough sunlight for photosynthesis, but grapes ripen later than in most Pinot Noir-producing regions: the period between flowering and harvest is two weeks longer in Central Otago than in Oregon or Burgundy.
Wines from Blank Canvas
Reed Vineyard Chardonnay 2022
Waihopai & Wairau Confluence | Marlborough - Consistently reviewed among the top Marlborough and New Zealand Chardonnays, the Reed Vineyard Chardonnay has both power and incredible elegance.
Abstract - Three Rows Sauvignon Blanc 2019
Dillons Point | Marlborough - Our alternative take on the classic style, our Abstract Sauvignon Blanc is about savoury complexity and seamless texture that we think draws parallels with the best white Bordeaux wines.
Holdaway Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2023
Dillons Point | Marlborough - Consistently among New Zealand's top rated Sauvignon Blanc wines. A single vineyard, small-batch classic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.
Escaroth Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020
Taylor Pass | Marlborough - Escaroth's dry farmed Pinot Noir produces a bewildering fragrance of peony and violets, red cherry and pomegranate overlaid with a smoky, earthy savouriness.
Anthem Vineyard Pinot Noir 2019
Gibbston Valley | Central Otago - We grew up in the enlivening surroundings of Central Otago. With this formative connection we dreamed early on of finding a special vineyard to venerate Central Otago Pinot Noir. We found it in the Anthem vineyard, cradled in the Gibbston Valley.
Una Volta Pinot Noir 2020
Bannockburn | Central Otago - The 'Una Volta' name is designated to limited release one-off parcels that we believe will make something very special. The 2020 Una Volta hails from a site with impressive pedigree: the Renaissance Vineyard on Bannockburn's Felton Road.
Element Vineyard Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2019
Gimblett Gravels | Hawkes Bay - In the true expression of cool-climate Syrah, this wine exudes freshly cracked black pepper, crushed violets, red and black forest fruits and savoury smoky nuances.