The Wall Around the Clos

Scallop shells remain embedded in the limestone boulders surrounding Clos Ostler. Their curved outlines and ribbed surfaces are visible in the stone beside the vines, preserving traces of the sea that once occupied this landscape.

The wall was built as the vineyard was planted. Limestone gave the new planting its enclosure, bringing the rock of this place into the boundary around it. Today, the shells within that stone are among the clearest expressions of the vineyard’s marine origins.

An ancient sea in the stone

The limestone country around Duntroon holds an extraordinary record of marine life. Shell fragments accumulated on the seabed and contributed to the rock now exposed across parts of the Waitaki Valley. Regional fossil sites also preserve whales, dolphins and penguins, giving the surrounding hills a history quite different from the landscape seen today.

At Clos Ostler, the scallops make that history immediate. They are recognisable forms held within solid rock. Along the wall, individual boulders reveal different fragments and impressions, small details that become apparent at walking pace.

The meaning of the clos

A clos is an enclosed vineyard. Here, limestone encloses the vines, with the escarpment rising behind and the Waitaki Valley opening beyond. The wall gives the vineyard a boundary while keeping its geological history in view.

Inside it, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris occupy different parts of the slope. The wines begin within this shared setting, with the season and the character of each parcel shaping their differences.

A detail that belongs to the estate

For our family, the shells in the wall are central to the identity of Clos Ostler. Marine life was preserved in the stone long before it enclosed the first vines. Today, another season unfolds beside those same shells. Beyond the rows, the Waitaki carries waters from the Aoraki catchment towards the Pacific. The wall brings the immense timescale of this landscape into something close enough to examine.

The rows pass from bare canes to new shoots, fruit and autumn leaves. Beside them, the shells remain in the limestone. That proximity is one of the quiet pleasures of spending time here, and a detail we want visitors to carry with them.

Further reading

Walking the Parcels of Clos Ostler

The People Who Believed in the Waitaki

The limestone beneath Clos Ostler

Stay above the vines at Clos Ostler