From Aoraki to an Ancient Sea
In the limestone wall surrounding Clos Ostler, scallop shells remain embedded in the stone. Beyond the vines lies the Waitaki Valley, carrying waters from Aoraki towards the Pacific. The remains of an ancient sea are part of our immediate surroundings, visible in the boulders that enclose the vineyard.
These two histories meet in the view from the clos. The river belongs to a catchment reaching into the Southern Alps. The shells record a marine landscape that existed long before the vineyard, the enclosing wall or the present course of the water.
The waters of Aoraki
In Ngāi Tahu tradition, the Waitaki is known as Kā Roimata o Aoraki, the Tears of Aoraki. Glacial waters from Aoraki, New Zealand’s highest mountain, feed Lake Pūkaki and the wider Waitaki system, continuing through the valley towards the Pacific.
Farther downstream, the lakes and hydroelectric works are part of the valley’s present character. Benmore and Aviemore give the journey a different scale from the narrower details of vineyard rows and stone. The Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail follows sections of this landscape before continuing through Kurow and Duntroon towards Ōamaru.
A sea preserved in limestone
Around Duntroon, the Vanished World sites reveal marine life preserved in the regional limestone, including whales, dolphins, penguins and shellfish. At Anatini, part of a baleen whale remains exposed in a limestone outcrop. These discoveries give the surrounding hills a history that is difficult to imagine from their present appearance.
At Clos Ostler, scallops remain recognisable within the limestone boulders. The wall was built as the vineyard was planted, enclosing the new vines with stone full of traces of the ancient sea. Along its length, whole shell outlines and smaller ribbed fragments reward a closer look.
The vineyard within this landscape
Our north-facing escarpment near Duntroon gives the vines sunlight within the cool climate of North Otago. Cold air can drain down the hillside on still nights, while air movement helps the foliage dry. These advantages matter through the long growing season. Pinot Noir from this slope combines perfume, freshness and fine tannin, with savoury detail that becomes more intricate as the wines mature.
For a visitor, the landscape provides another way into that understanding. A journey through the lakes, a visit to the fossil sites and time above the vines give the name Waitaki a physical setting. The shell in the wall is a small detail, but it stays with us.
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