A THOUSAND GODS BLUSH #25

The Real Review’s Rising Star of the Year New Zealand 2025 Finalist (Top 3)

After spending a decade making wine in the Cahors region of South-West France, as well as collectively working forty plus vintages across nine different countries; Simon and Lauren have returned back to New Zealand to make wine under their own label ‘A Thousand Gods’. Their aim is to make wines they can call their own, both representative of site, yet in their own way, surprisingly unique.

Working closely with their biodynamic grower in the Waihopai Valley of Marlborough, meticulously farmed grapes are hand-picked and undergo wild fermentation. No additions, fining or filtration processes are used. Instead, thoughtful guidance into becoming wines that are generous and approachable, yet also complex and cellar-worthy.

Winery notes (#25)
"A brand new but very limited cuvée. Gastronomic rosé made from ultra-premium pinot noir, aged in barrel on fine lees for 18 months. Fragrant red berry, flint, white pepper, cinnamon bark and sage on the nose, with a structured and mouth-filling strawberries and cream palate, counterbalanced by long acidity and botanical freshness. Unfined, unfiltered, no added sulphites."

5 Stars & 95/100 Stephen Wong MW, The Real Review, July 2026 (#25)
"Lauren Keenan and Simon Sharpe have made a truly remarkable wine which Simon admits “messes with your mind a bit”. The couple had some exceptional organic and biodynamically-grown pinot noir from the Churton Vineyard in 2024 and they basket-pressed one portion of it to fill a single old barrel as a rosé.

After ageing it on fine lees for 18 months, they separated a small portion of early-picked viognier from the same vineyard in 2025 (destined for their Java bottling) and added it to the barrel of rosé, thereby creating the beautiful alchemy of this wine. As a result, they’ve labelled it as a non-vintage, referring to it as #25 as it was bottled in 2025.

Pale coral-pink. Immediately recognisable low-intervention aromas of zingy citrus, pickled dill and olive brine laced with myriad complex spice, herb and savoury notes. The palate is incredibly complex, adding various dried herbs, citrus peel, rosehip, seed spice and hints of blond tobacco to the dry, long, zingy and tart acidity which supports its long savoury spine of fine, pithy phenolics. Both taut and gently oxidative at the same time, this oscillates between tartness and an almost creamy, saline weight reminiscent of oxidative Jura whites. Incredible length."