The Home Block is the original vineyard at Neudorf, in the Upper Moutere hills behind Nelson. Tim and Judy Finn planted its first vines in 1978, and Tim turned a stable about 120 years old into the winery, milling two macrocarpa trees from the property to do it. With little known about grape growing in New Zealand at the time, they planted several varieties to see what the clay and gravel soils would suit, and Pinot Noir was one that stayed.
The block faces north at roughly 60 metres, is dry farmed and is certified BioGro organic. The fruit is picked by hand and put through a wild yeast ferment in open vessels, plunged by hand, then matured in French oak, about a fifth of it new. Malolactic happens naturally in spring, and the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered.
It is a savoury style of Pinot Noir rather than a sweet, jammy one. Expect black plum, wild cherry and dried thyme, with a smoky, earthy edge and a long, mineral finish. The winery suggests charcoal seared duck breast with wild mushrooms, or a slow cooked hāngī, and roast pork or a mushroom and thyme tart would also suit it.