92pts James Suckling

Fragrant aromas of candied citrus, guava and orange blossoms followed by nettles, sage and box trees. Medium-bodied, mouthwatering acidity. Vibrant and aromatic.

Tasting Notes

Enticing aromas of cassis, lemon sorbet and green mango, with a delicate
dusting of white pepper spice. On the palate, juicy Winter Cole pear and baked apple pie notes are lifted by fragrant layers of elderflower, yuzu and ripe citrus. An elegant yet striking interpretation of Marlborough sauvignon blanc - textural and opulent, lifted and lingering.

Winemaker Notes

Fruit was sourced from several prime vineyard sites in Marlborough’s Southern
Valleys and the central Wairau Plains (specifically Woodbourne, Renwick and Rapaura). Soil types vary from the young alluvial soils of Rapaura and Renwick, which contain high proportions of New Zealand’s ubiquitous greywacke river stones, to the older and denser clay-loams of the Southern Valleys. The majority of the vineyards were trained using the divided Scott Henry canopy management system, with the balance on a two- or three-cane VSP (vertical shoot positioning) trellis.

Harvested largely by machine during cool (often cold) night-time conditions,
the sauvignon blanc grapes were picked at ideal ripeness over a 16-day period, commencing 27 March. Transported directly to our winery in the Omaka Valley, fruit was lightly pressed to yield a modest volume of high-quality juice. The juice was cold-settled and racked prior to fermentation, which was primarily carried out in stainless steel tanks with cultured yeast. All individual vineyard batches were left on lees until late June, when the blend was assembled.

The wine was bottled in early August with alcohol 13.4%, pH 3.22 and acidity 6.8 g/l.