Discovering Clos Ostler at the Table
The pleasure of discovering a micro-producer is often the closeness between a bottle and the place behind it. At Clos Ostler, that place is an eight-hectare limestone monopole in the Waitaki Valley, North Otago. Our family’s wines offer several ways to encounter this single vineyard, in quantities that remain modest from one release to the next.
At the table, those details become something tangible. A wine can introduce a less familiar corner of New Zealand, prompt a conversation about its season and leave a memory of a particular meal. Small production gives each release an intimate scale. Its lasting appeal comes from the character in the glass.
Begin with the vineyard
Clos Ostler lies near Duntroon on a north-facing escarpment of ancient marine limestone. Dry-grown vines and a long, cool growing season form the setting for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. The estate belongs to the Waitaki Valley, North Otago, with a geographical identity distinct from Central Otago.
For a guest discovering the wine, a brief introduction is enough, a family-owned limestone monopole, a particular wine and its vintage. These details offer a clear sense of origin without overwhelming the experience. The conversation can deepen as the wine opens.
Two expressions of Pinot Noir
Caroline’s and EOS reveal different selections within the same vineyard. Caroline’s draws on all five Pinot Noir clones grown at Clos Ostler. EOS is principally a selection of 667 and 777, with a smaller Abel contribution, and a focus on perfume and structure.
The distinction is useful when choosing a bottle for dinner or presenting the estate on a wine list. Rather than treating the wines as interchangeable, consider the exact vintage and its tasting note. A meal built around mushrooms, roast poultry or duck offers a natural starting point for exploring Pinot Noir’s savoury detail.
Give Chardonnay its own place
Chardonnay provides another expression of the limestone vineyard. The estate’s first release was the 2024 vintage. The 2025 followed with eleven months in barrel, 35 per cent new oak and partial malolactic fermentation. Our tasting description brings together apple, lime, nectarine and warm almond paste, with a chalky mineral line.
Its place at the table deserves the same consideration as the Pinot Noir. Seafood, poultry and vegetable dishes provide several directions, with the preparation and sauce helping to guide the choice. Allowing the wine time in the glass gives its texture and fragrance room to develop.
The intimacy of a small release
The scale becomes especially clear in the unreleased EOS 2024, fewer than 150 twelve-bottle case equivalents were produced in standard 750 mL bottles, with magnums accounted for separately. Quantities vary across the estate’s wines and vintages. Each release has its own identity and a finite number of bottles through which that season can be shared.
For a host, merchant or sommelier, this offers a distinctive introduction to New Zealand fine wine. The wine carries a specific vineyard, a family and a season into the room. For the person enjoying it, the reward is the discovery itself and the possibility of returning to that place through another bottle.
Explore the current selection or contact the estate to discuss a particular wine. For restaurant and merchant enquiries, tell us your location and the style of wines you wish to present so we can discuss suitable releases.
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