This week, the Broadbent Selections team had the pleasure of joining a virtual tasting with Spy Valley Wines, led by owner Amanda and winemaker Emily. From the vineyards of Marlborough to our screens across the U.S., the session was a deep dive into the 2025 harvest and a chance to taste three standout wines: Satellite Sauvignon Blanc, Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc, and Spy Valley Pinot Noir.
A Family Legacy & a Team Effort
Amanda began by sharing the sense of continuity at Spy Valley:
“I’ve now roped my daughter in — she’s managing the cellar door — and both my boys will be back at the end of October working in the vineyard again. So the third generation is on deck, which is pretty exciting for us as a family.”
With 180 hectares of vineyards under their care, the team manages everything in-house:
“We manage our vineyards, we have all our own machinery, and then we bring it into the winery and crush around two and a half thousand tons on average. And we bottle our own wine on site, which gives us great quality control.”
Vintage 2025: A Textbook Harvest
The discussion quickly turned to the just-completed vintage. Emily painted a vivid picture of the season:
“We were so lucky this year. Beautiful flowering, perfect weather, great fruit set. Cool nights kept the acidity, and we could pick whenever we wanted — leaving the fruit out longer to develop flavor and ripeness. It’s been tough the last few years, but 2025 was really a gift.”
This patience has translated into wines that are bright, balanced, and full of promise.
Tasting the Lineup
Satellite Sauvignon Blanc 2025
Emily described it as:
“Our take on the classic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc — bright citrus notes, really fresh, good acidity, well-balanced. It’s machine-picked, stainless steel fermented, and blended for consistency. We’re proud of its balance of citrus and herbal character, especially from our Wairau vineyard with restored wetlands.”
Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2025
Emily highlighted the difference from Satellite:
“Spy is not as upfront on the nose. It’s more subtle, with ripe tropical and citrus notes, a touch of minerality, and a barrel portion that adds texture and creaminess. It’s a wine that really opens up with a bit of time in the bottle.”
Josh Orr, Master Sommelier at Broadbent Selections, summed it up perfectly:
“Satellite runs up to you with all its brightness, but Spy sneaks up slowly with layers and texture – it’s a Sauvignon Blanc that sails along.”
Spy Valley Pinot Noir 2022
While Sauvignon Blanc often takes center stage, this year’s Pinot Noir was just as compelling. Amanda shared candidly:
“It was quite a tough vintage for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. We had more rain during their harvest window, so the Pinot doesn’t show massive color intensity. But what we do see is vibrant fruit character, with lifted aromatics and fine texture.”
Rather than power and depth, the 2025 Pinot Noir offers elegance and balance:
“It’s a Pinot of finesse — not the darkest in color, but it has purity of fruit and a delicacy that reflects the season.”
That balance is what makes Spy Valley’s Pinot stand out year after year. Even in challenging vintages, their approach emphasizes transparency to vineyard character, ensuring a wine that’s expressive, age-worthy, and food-friendly.
Sustainability at the Core
The team also emphasized their ethos of leaving the land better for future generations:
“Everything we do is around leaving the vineyards in a better state for the future. We run sheep through in winter, test soils annually, and plant cover crops. It’s about keeping the vineyard as healthy as possible.”
The 2025 Spy Valley vintage promises wines of purity, precision, and elegance.
