Novum Wines is a boutique Marlborough project defined by single-site precision, low intervention, and a clear-eyed vision of varietal clarity. Founded by William Hoare, a veteran of New Zealand’s fine wine scene, Novum was born from the desire to create elegant, small-batch wines that distill the essence of individual vineyard parcels. With no estate to anchor the project, the focus is entirely on relationships — with growers, with sites, and with the natural rhythm of each vintage.

The fruit is sourced from select growers in Marlborough’s Southern Valleys, where clay-rich soils and cooler temperatures yield wines with texture, tension, and balance. Working closely with growers, Novum selects small blocks with unique expressions — often dry-farmed and low-yielding — chosen for their ability to express structure and purity rather than overt fruit character. Farming is sustainable, and every decision in the vineyard is made in service of nuance.

In the cellar, the approach is clean, restrained, and detail-driven. Chardonnay is whole-bunch pressed and fermented in French oak — largely seasoned — with native yeasts and long, slow élevage on lees to build tension and length. Pinot Noir is wild-fermented, with partial whole bunch inclusion and gentle extraction, followed by ageing in low-toast barrels to retain energy and site transparency. There is no fining, no filtration — just patience and a belief that great wines come from doing less, not more.

The wines are finely shaped and quietly expressive. Chardonnay is taut and mineral, with white peach, citrus pith, struck flint, and saline drive — structured and built for longevity. Pinot Noir is aromatic and detailed, with red cherry, spice, and fine-grained tannins over a subtle, savoury frame. There is a quiet confidence in every cuvée — a sense that the wines are not made to impress broadly, but to resonate deeply.

What defines Novum is its singularity of focus — a producer that listens more than it speaks, crafting wines that reward attention and unfold with calm precision.

These are wines that move lightly but leave a lasting impression — distilled, articulate, and shaped by intent rather than expectation.