Settlement wines is owned and operated by winemaker Steve Planthaber and his partner Kirsty Sutherland. Steve grew up in the Barossa Valley, surrounded by vineyards and the wine industry from a young age. On leaving school he found his way to the deep south of New Zealand to study chemistry and a move to Marlborough with Kirsty cemented his love of wine. After 12 enjoyable years working for Cloudy Bay Vineyards in production and operations, he decided to use his diverse skills and experience to relish the opportunity to form his own wine brand, Settlement. At Settlement, Steve seeks out the most distinguished parcels of fruit from some of Marlborough’s finest organic vineyards, to create four wines that reflect the diverse parcels of land the fruit comes from. The wines produced – a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Noir are well suited to Marlborough’s soil profile and climate. By choosing exceptional vineyard sites, little is required from the team in the winery. The purity of fruit and flavour is nurtured in the organic vineyard, and any variation in season is embraced in the winery with little intervention required during the winemaking process. Creating elegant, complex and structured wines.

Reviews for this winery

Vinous

Settlement was born in 2019 and started selling in mid-2021. With Greywacke's Kevin Judd and the Cowley brothers from Auntsfield sharing the winery space, Planthaber has plenty of knowledge to draw upon. The first vintage is an exciting debut. Planthaber is able to source his Riesling and Chardonnay from some of the area's best-known sites as well as his own vineyard. I think we'll be hearing more from Settlement in the coming years.

Rebecca Gibb MW, March 2022