Saint Clair Unoaked Chardonnay 2001
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Saint Clair Family Estate was founded in 1994 by Marlborough grapegrowing pioneers Neal and Judy Ibbotson, who in 1978 were among the first 10 growers to plant vineyards in the region. Through decades of learning, Saint Clair Family Estate has worked to identify superior Marlborough’s vineyard sites that today produce wines that are consistently awarded worldwide. Today, Neal uses his extensive viticultural expertise with Marlborough’s unique mix of climate and soils in combination with the talent of one of New Zealand’s leading winemaking teams to create acclaimed wines.
The Origin Series Sauvignon Blanc is made primarily from fruit grown in a specific sub-region of Marlborough’s lower Wairau Valley known as Dillons Point. Located near the mouth of the Wairau River as it empties into Marlborough Sound, the vineyard sites have deep, free-draining soils with layers of mineral salts, giving the wine its hint of salinity.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A relatively young but extremely promising wine producing country, New Zealand is widely recognized for its distinctive white wines made from the aromatic, Sauvignon blanc.
The world’s most southerly vineyards are found here, with significant climatic variation both between and within the warmer North Island and the cooler South Island. Overall, the climate is maritime, with plenty of rainfall, as well as abundant sunshine. Producers have almost unilaterally embraced cutting-edge winery technology, resulting in clean, high-quality New Zealand wines at every price point from wallet-friendly to premium.
Sauvignon blanc, known here for its trademark herbaceous character, is at its best in Marlborough but thrives throughout the nation, accounting for an overwhelming majority of the country’s exports. While this is indeed the country’s most planted and successful variety, it is certainly not the only New Zealand grape capable of delighting wine lovers.
Chardonnay is the second-most important white variety and takes on a supple texture with citrus and tropical fruit aromas in Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay, respectively. Pinot noir, second behind Sauvignon blanc in national production numbers, is at its best in Central Otago—the most southerly winegrowing region in the world! These New Zealand wines are known for bright and juicy red fruit. Taking cues from the wines of Alsace, aromatic varieties like Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewürztraminer shine in Martinborough, while red wine Bordeaux varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have found success in Hawke’s Bay. Throughout New Zealand but especially in Marlborough, Pinot noir and Chardonnay are used to produce traditional method sparkling NZ wines.