Burn Cottage

Burn Cottage was established by the Sauvage family, led by Marquis and Dianne Sauvage, who purchased the property in the Cromwell Basin in 2002. The family had a background in agriculture in the American Midwest and owned a fine wine distribution company in the United States before deciding to develop their own estate. During a visit to Central Otago in 2001, they were impressed by the potential of the region for Pinot Noir and eventually acquired a site that had previously served as a high country sheep station. Seeking to create a biodynamic vineyard from the ground up, the Sauvages partnered with Ted Lemon, the owner and winemaker of Littorai Wines in California, to serve as a consultant and project director. The estate remains under the ownership of the Sauvage family today.

The estate vineyard is situated in the foothills of the Pisa Range in the Lowburn sub-region of Central Otago. It consists of 10 hectares of vines planted on soils predominantly characterized by sandy loams, gravel, and alluvial outwash. The site forms a sheltered amphitheater that protects the vines from the harsh northerly and southerly winds common to the area. The property is managed as a fully integrated farm, following biodynamic principles since its inception and receiving Demeter certification in 2009. This approach excludes the use of synthetic chemicals and focuses on farm produced composts and preparations, incorporating livestock and native plantings to create a system that sustains itself. In the cellar, winemaking emphasizes minimal intervention and utilizes native yeast fermentations to reflect the specific characteristics of each vintage and individual vineyard block.

The producer is primarily recognized for its Pinot Noir, particularly the flagship Burn Cottage Vineyard bottling produced from the estate vines. Another significant label is the Moonlight Race Pinot Noir, which incorporates fruit from the estate alongside grapes from other selected sites such as the Sauvage Vineyard and Northburn Vineyard. While Pinot Noir is the central focus, the estate also produces white wines including a blend of Riesling and Grüner Veltliner. Burn Cottage has earned a reputation for producing wines that emphasize texture and structural complexity. The winery is also noted for its labels, which feature illustrations based on the fairytale The Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, symbolizing the estate philosophy of harmony with nature.