Dog Point is a name that quietly commands respect—founded on old vines, deep convictions, and a refusal to follow fashion. Established in 2002 by viticulturalist Ivan Sutherland and winemaker James Healy, both formerly of Cloudy Bay, Dog Point was born from a shared belief: that Marlborough could offer more than just primary fruit—it could express place, age, and restraint with eloquence.

The estate lies at the confluence of the Wairau and Southern Valleys in Marlborough. Its vineyards are among the oldest privately established in the region, with many plantings dating back to the 1970s and 1980s. Dry-farmed and organically certified, the vines grow in clay, silt, and alluvial soils beneath the foothills of the Wither Hills. These sites yield fruit of intensity and complexity, shaped by coastal breezes, diurnal variation, and meticulous canopy work.

At Dog Point, winemaking is minimalist yet purposeful. All fruit is hand-picked—a rarity in Marlborough—and wild fermentation is employed across the range. The wines are neither fined nor filtered. This approach preserves natural texture and aromatic nuance, allowing vineyard character to shine through with clarity and restraint.

The Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc defies regional cliché. Far from a fruit-forward style, it is flinty, structured, and tightly coiled, with citrus pith, wet stone, and herbal undertones. The Section 94, a barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc from a single site, is one of New Zealand’s most distinctive whites—textured, smoky, and age-worthy. The Chardonnay, whole-bunch pressed and aged in French oak, is taut, mineral, and Burgundian in spirit, while the Pinot Noir reveals wild cherry, earth, and fine tannins in a style both elegant and untamed.

Dog Point is a winery of patience and principle. It does not chase trends, but quietly sets benchmarks. Every decision—from organic farming to extended lees aging—is made with integrity and clarity of purpose.

Each bottle is an echo of Marlborough’s untamed edges—disciplined, textural, and deeply rooted in place.