Clive Jones trained as an industrial chemist before having his interest in the wine industry piqued by his love for wine as a consumer. With his chemistry background and analytical mind, he entered the wine industry through Selaks Wines in Auckland just before the vintage in 1992. In August 1998, Jones joined Nautilus Estate in Marlborough as a winemaker and is now a 30-vintage veteran of the Marlborough wine industry.
Jones described the 90s as a time when the industry was waking up, giving him the unique experience of living through its growth over the last 30 years.
Nautilus is a medium-sized winery, which means it is large enough to be well-resourced but small enough to be nimble within the market. It has six estate vineyards and a handful of contract growers, with some of these relationships spanning over 30 years.
“This longevity means we have been working with the same vineyards for decades now, and this accumulated knowledge is invaluable to consistently making high-quality wine,” said Jones.
Nautilus aims to make wines with elegance and finesse, using natural restraint and balance to make appealing wines that may not be as bold or obvious as others but boast a rounded flavour.
“Winemaking itself is a relatively simple process, so your ‘house style’ becomes important to differentiate you from your competitors.”
The landscape and terrior within which grapes are grown are critical to a wine’s overall sense of place. Jones stated that it was important to be able to ‘hang your hat’ at the location and also experience the natural seasonal variation to bring out the best of a wine’s chosen place.
Nautilus grows a range of varietals, including rarer varietals, Gruner Veltliner, and Albarino; the Albarino shows the most promise as it is a wine that appeals to a comprehensive range of consumers, whereas the Gruner Veltliner appears to attract more wine enthusiasts.
Exporting 85 percent of what it produces to over 40 countries, Nautilus’ leading markets include the USA, Australia, Europe, and Scandinavia.
As an established business, Nautilus is focused on continued learning and refinement rather than growth. We are comfortable where we are now and have a great vineyard and winery resource to make distinctive wines. Jones said that in the future, there were likely to be greater seasonal variations that Nautilus would need to adapt to as the climate changed.
“Learning and adapting where possible will be critical to continued success.”
The most challenging harvest it has endured was 2022, driven by logistics and a COVID-affected workforce. However, Jones has experienced a range of vintages with challenges, including a very wet 1995 and a very hot 1998, the extremes during harvesting presenting the most challenges to winemakers.
“On the other hand, 2023 was one of the most enjoyable harvests I have experienced – along with 2007.”
Touching on his own favourite wine pairing, Jones said that while it was hard to pick, a simple classic was a hot-smoked Malborough Salmon on fresh ciabatta with Nautilus’ chardonnay or blue cheese on a slice of venison salami with Nautilus’ Southern Valley’s Pinot Noir.
