Born of the Soils Which Nurture the Vines
Burn Cottage is a 28-hectare vineyard, farm, and estate in the foothills of the Pisa Range in Central Otago, New Zealand. [^3^] The property was purchased unplanted in 2002 by husband and wife Marquis and Dianne Sauvage, after they toured the area on vacation and recognised its extraordinary potential. [^3^] The site had been grazed by sheep for as long as anyone could remember — a beautiful, protected bowl sheltered from both northerly and southerly winds by large hills, forming a natural amphitheatre. [^3^] Marquis sought out Ted Lemon of Littorai in California to plant the vineyard; Ted's one condition was that Burn Cottage be farmed biodynamically from inception. [^3^] The first blocks were planted in 2003, and today the estate is a fully functioning Demeter-certified biodynamic farm with 10 hectares under vine, devoted to Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Grüner Veltliner. [^3^] The rest of the land is home to cattle, chickens, beehives, olive groves, and native New Zealand flora — a living system where biodiversity is the cornerstone of everything. [^3^]
From Sheep Paddock to Biodynamic Amphitheatre
The Burn Cottage story begins with a vacation. Marquis and Dianne Sauvage, Chicago-based wine enthusiasts, toured Central Otago and fell in love with a bare, windswept property in the foothills of the Pisa Range. [^3^] It was an unplanted sheep paddock — 28 hectares with no vineyard neighbours, sheltered by hills in a natural amphitheatre formation. The site was much coveted in the region for its protection from wind and its phenomenal potential for Pinot Noir. [^3^]
Marquis had been a distributor for Ted Lemon's Littorai wines for 15 years, and he knew exactly who he wanted to guide the project. [^16^] He approached Ted — the first American ever to run a Burgundian estate, and a deeply respected figure in California wine — to plant and manage the vineyard. [^16^] Ted's response was immediate and unequivocal: he would only come on board if the vineyard was farmed biodynamically from day one. [^3^] It took two Burgundy winemakers refusing the job and eight months of deliberation before Lemon said yes — and then eight years before the first commercial wine was released. [^16^]
The first vines went into the ground in 2003. Development continued at a "loving and deliberate pace" to ensure only the best plant material was used. [^3^] Unlike most producers who bottle their first wine after three to five years, Burn Cottage waited until 2009 to release their debut Pinot Noir — a Goethe-inspired label that announced a new kind of Central Otago wine: patient, terroir-driven, and utterly singular. [^16^]
Today, Claire Mulholland serves as General Manager and Winemaker, having joined in 2010 after stints at Martinborough Vineyards, Amisfield, and Rippon. [^32^] She works alongside Ted Lemon, who remains the guiding hand on the tiller — consulting on viticulture, winemaking philosophy, and the biodynamic program that defines every decision at Burn Cottage. [^3^]
"Great wines are not made from fruit; they are born of the soils which nurture the vines and made with minimal intervention winemaking."
— Burn Cottage Philosophy
A Living System of Cattle, Bees & Vines
Burn Cottage is not merely a vineyard — it is a fully functioning biodynamic farm. Of the 28 hectares, 10 are under vine; the remaining 18 are devoted to cattle, chickens, beehives, olive groves, and native New Zealand plants, bushes, and trees. [^3^] The estate produces its own compost and grows many of the preparations needed for biodynamic farming, creating a closed-loop system where waste becomes nourishment and biodiversity is actively cultivated rather than managed away. [^3^]
The vineyard sits in a protected bowl in the foothills of the Pisa Range, sheltered from both northerly and southerly winds. [^3^] The soils are free-draining sandy loams derived from broken-down schist and granite — old river beds pushed up by glacial movements. [^3^] Pinot Noir is planted on north and north-east facing slopes, capturing maximum sunlight in a region with a continental climate: warm summers, cold winters, long warm days through the growing season, and cool nights that preserve acidity. [^3^]
All grapes are hand-harvested. In the winery, Claire and Ted employ only the lightest touch: indigenous yeast starters cultured from the vineyard itself, partial whole-bunch fermentation, minimal new oak, and no fining or filtration. [^38^] The goal is not to showcase winemaker skill but to allow the genius of the site to shine through. "Making wine isn't about showcasing winemaker skills. It's about the place," Claire has said. [^39^]
The farm's biodiversity is deliberate and deep. Cattle provide manure for compost and biodynamic preparations (especially BD 500). Sheep graze grass and weeds. Chickens scratch and spread manure. Bees pollinate native plantings. The result is a farm with what Claire calls "a great energy about it" — a self-sustaining organism where every element is interconnected. [^32^]
Sheltered from both northerly and southerly winds by large hills, forming a natural amphitheatre. [^3^] This unique topography creates a warm, protected mesoclimate ideal for Pinot Noir — one of the most coveted sites in Central Otago.
Sandy loams derived from broken-down schist and granite, mostly old river beds pushed up by glacial movements. [^3^] Free-draining and mineral-rich — the foundation of Burn Cottage's structured, earthy Pinot Noir character.
No herbicides, no artificial fertilisers, no synthetic chemicals — ever. [^39^] BioGro certification for the home vineyard from 2017. [^39^] The entire estate operates as a self-sustaining biodynamic organism, with composting, cover crops, and native biodiversity central to the approach.
Cattle for manure and meat, chickens for spreading and scratching, bees for pollination, olive groves for oil, and native plantings for biodiversity. [^3^] "We are located in a dry region so we are mindful of conservative stocking — but our farm provides for our compost and preparation making requirements." [^32^]
Minimal Intervention, Maximum Expression
Burn Cottage's winemaking is a study in restraint. "Our task is to be as hands-off as possible," Claire explains. "There is no addition of commercial yeasts or bacteria for fermentation." [^24^] Instead, the team cultures its own yeast starters from the vineyard every year — a living bridge between soil and wine that ensures each vintage carries the microbial fingerprint of the estate. [^38^]
Whole bunch fermentation is used judiciously — typically 5–30% depending on the block and vintage — to add lifted fragrance, complexity, and structure. [^24^] Decisions are made on the sorting table and in the vineyard, not by recipe. With ten different clones and ten different blocks across varied aspects and elevations, each portion of the harvest is looked at separately before entering the fermenter. [^39^]
The Pinot Noir ages for approximately 12 months in French oak with a small percentage of new wood. [^24^] Wines are bottled unfiltered and unfined, preserving their natural character, aroma, and texture. [^24^] The result is Pinot Noir that is "a little compressed when young" — to borrow a phrase from Nick Mills at nearby Rippon — but that unfolds into wines of extraordinary complexity and age-worthiness.
The white wine program is equally singular. In a small side valley at the top of the site with mineral, slightly lean soil, Burn Cottage planted Riesling and Grüner Veltliner — likely the only co-fermented blend of its kind in the southern hemisphere. [^32^] The grapes receive skin contact (36–62 hours), are co-fermented, and aged in stainless steel, neutral oak, and sandstone jarre. [^27^] The Grüner brings acidity and texture; the Riesling brings florals and lime. It is a wine of genuine originality — dry, savoury, and built to age under screw cap.
Burn Cottage Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022 — 96 Points, The Real Review
"An immaculate Burn Cottage Vineyard Pinot Noir. Winemaker Claire Mulholland is so intimately familiar with the fruit from this biodynamic vineyard that every action she takes is thoughtful, deliberate, tailored and leaves almost no trace. Don't let this wine's initial quiet subtlety fool you: it's a classic peacock's tail pinot. Restrained though intriguing nose with lurking layers of blackberry, dark cherry, flint and woodsmoke. The palate has outstanding concentration while retaining supremely elegant poise and grace. Not a hair out of place, the ultra-fine tannins, long, measured acidity and silky texture are so perfectly balanced that all attention can be focused on the kaleidoscope of subtle, evolving flavour which pans across the palate." [^31^] Ranked #9 of 137 Central Otago Pinot Noirs from the 2022 vintage. Drink now to 2040.
The Great Grape Swap & Central Otago Kinship
Burn Cottage exists within a tight-knit community of Central Otago winegrowers. Claire Mulholland's career is intertwined with the region's pioneers — Rolfe and Lois Mills at Rippon, Grant Taylor at Gibbston Valley and Valli, Alan Brady, and the Hay Brothers. [^32^] "The quality they were finding in Pinot Noir was exciting," she recalls. "I was inspired by many of the pioneers of our region." [^32^]
One of Burn Cottage's most distinctive projects is "The Great Grape Swap" with Valli Wines — a collaboration born from late-night conversations between Claire, Ted Lemon, and Grant Taylor. [^32^] Each winery sets aside rows and clones for the other; they literally swap grapes and end up with three barrels each of Pinot Noir made by the other's hand. [^39^] "It's fun learning about our site through other people's eyes," Claire says. "It's also fun promoting the wines together." [^32^] Six vintages in, the project remains as vital as ever.
Claire also welcomes family members and friends of overseas colleagues back to Burn Cottage for vintage experience — a tradition of knowledge exchange that binds the global natural wine community together. "It really is about the people we meet along the way," she says. [^32^]
The future of Burn Cottage is rooted in the same principles that have defined it since 2003: biodynamic farming, minimal intervention, and a deep respect for the land. As the vines mature and Claire's understanding of the site's many micro-parcels deepens, the wines will only become more expressive. With peak production targeted at approximately 5,000 cases when all blocks are mature, Burn Cottage will remain small, deliberate, and fiercely site-specific. [^3^]
"Wine reflects site and you achieve greater clarity when farming organically. And biodynamics ties everything and everyone together in a significant and holistic way, enabling the whole system to work better."
— Claire Mulholland
The Burn Cottage Range
Burn Cottage produces a focused portfolio of estate-grown, biodynamic wines from its Cromwell vineyard and selected partner sites. The range centres on Pinot Noir — the flagship Burn Cottage Vineyard estate blend and the Moonlight Race sub-regional expression — alongside a unique Riesling/Grüner Veltliner co-ferment. [^24^] All wines are wild fermented, with no fining or filtering, and minimal sulphur. [^24^] The style is one of purity, structure, and age-worthiness — wines that demand patience but reward it with profound complexity. Prices are approximate and in NZD.