Rimapere Sauvignon Blanc 2014
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Enjoy on its own or pair with grilled fish, oysters, chicken or fresh cheeses.
In Maori, Rimapere means "five arrows," representing the emblem of the Rothschild family which stands for the five brothers who forged this dynasty of entrepreneurs: the five sons of Mayer Amschel Rothschild.
The 26-hectare Rimapere Vineyard is ideally located on the prestigious site of Rapaura in the heart of Marlborough. The region's fresh climate is conducive to producing Sauvignon Blanc of excellent quality, giving the grapes a pleasant acidity expressed through a distinctive freshness and classic lemon and grapefruit aromas. Viticulture and winemaking for Rimapere Sauvignon Blanc are under the care of the Craggy Range winemaking team.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
An icon and leading region of New Zealand's distinctive style of Sauvignon blanc, Marlborough has a unique terroir, making it ideal for high quality grape production (of many varieties). Despite some common generalizations, which could be fairly justified given that Marlborough is responsible for 90% of New Zealand's Sauvignon blanc production, the wines from this region are actually anything but homogenous. At the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island, the vineyards of Marlborough benefit from well-draining, stony soils, a dry, sunny climate and wide temperature fluctuations between day and night, a phenomenon that supports a perfect balance between berry ripeness and acidity.
The region’s king variety, Sauvignon blanc, is beloved for its pungent, aromatic character with notes of exotic tropical fruit, freshly cut grass and green bell pepper along with a refreshing streak of stony minerality. These wines are made in a wide range of styles, and winemakers take advantage of various clones, vineyard sites, fermentation styles, lees-stirring and aging regimens to differentiate their bottlings, one from one another.
Also produced successfully here are fruit-forward Pinot noirs (especially where soils are clay-rich), elegant Riesling, Pinot gris and Gewürztraminer.