Osawa Wines Prestige Collection Sauvignon Blanc 2015
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Robert
Parker
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Stonefruit and tropical aromas, shrouded in gun smoke and struck match tones the palate that is rich with leesy, barrel fermentation characters that add texture and complexity. The wine is vibrant with pineapple and guava flavors and a generous, long soft finish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Prestige Collection Sauvignon Blanc appears to be a barrel-fermented style with riper, stone fruit and struck match/sulfide-led expression. The palate has lovely texture and gets that savory/sulfide character in balance, complementing the generous honeyed peach flavors and extending the finish nicely. Very nicely done!
It all started one sunny afternoon in Tokyo when Mr. Osawa, a Japanese wine lover, decided to go travelling with the intention of starting a vineyard and making his own wines. He selected America, Australia and New Zealand as potential areas of interest. A year and many miles later, Mr. Osawa arrived in New Zealand and decided that this is where he would like to make his wine.
He quickly fell in love with Hawke’s Bay climate and scenery, deciding early on that this was where he would like to make wine. He bought 100 acres from Craggy Range at Maraekakaho, on the western side of Hawke’s Bay. The single estate vineyard sits on a river terrace in the beautiful Mangatahi Valley, alongside the clear waters of the Ngaruroro River. The climate here benefits from low rainfall, hot days and cool nights as it is located between two mountain ranges (Kaweka & Ruahine ranges). Grapes are grown on free-draining loam deposited over the centuries by the Ngaruroro River. Our aim is to create the highest quality wines through sustainable, responsible practices.
?Initially Mr. Osawa started exporting the wine to Japan where he has established business contacts that allowed the wine to be sold in a number of the country’s best restaurants. The winery is now the third largest exporter of New Zealand wine to Japan.
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 eclectic region on the east coast of the North Island, Hawkes Bay extends from wide, fertile, coastal plains, inland, to the coast range, whose peaks reach as high as 5,300 feet. While the flatter areas were historically more popular because they are easier to cultivate, their alluvial soils can be too fertile for vines. In the late 20th century, the drive for quality led growers to the hills where soils are free-draining, limestone-rich and more suited to producing high quality wines.
Over the passing of time, the old Ngaruroro River laid down deep, gravelly beds, which were subsequently exposed after a huge flood in the 1860’s. In the 1980s growers identified this stretch, which continues for approximately 800 ha, and named it the Gimblett Gravels. The zone has proven to be ideal for the production of excellent red wines, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.
Today the area takes well-earned recognition for its Bordeaux blends and other reds. Expressive of intense stewed red and black berry with gentle herbaceous characters, Gimblett Gravels wines are suggestive of their cool climate origin, and on par with other top-notch Bordeaux blends around the globe.
Chardonnay is the top white grape in Hawkes Bay, making elegant wines, strong in stone fruit character. Sauvignon blanc comes in close behind, notable for its tropical, fruit forward qualities.