Winemaker Notes
Intensely aromatic with ripe passionfruit and tropical notes leading the way, the wine shows great concentration and drive, with a juicy finger lime and citrus focused mid palate framed with bright acidity. The majority of fruit was cool fermented in stainless steel, with a small component of barrel fermented wine blended in for texture.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Fume Sauvignon Blanc leads with concentrated tropical fruit set against a backdrop of creamy, toasty oak. There are notes of baking spices, crushed nuts/meal, curry leaf and apples. There's a lot going on here—it's an intense wine with balance and flow. 13.8% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
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Wine Spectator
Effusive and intense, with candied ginger, dried pineapple and notes of fresh apricot on a juicy, fleshy frame. Gains momentum on the finish, where details of oolong tea and lime zest linger.
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James Suckling
Dried pear and stone fruit with some subtle mineral underneath. Medium body. Aniseed, pear and green apple flavors. Hints of grass. Fresh and creamy texture.
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.
Home to the globe’s most southerly vineyards, which are cultivated below the 45th parallel, Central Otago is a true one-of-a-kind wine growing region, but not only because of its extreme location.
Central Otago is more dependent on one single variety than any other region in New Zealand—and it isn’t Sauvignon blanc. They don’t even make Sauvignon blanc there.
Pinot Noir claims nearly 75% of the region’s vineyards with Pinot Gris coming in a far second place and Riesling behind it. This is also New Zealand’s only wine region with a continental climate, giving it more diurnal and seasonal temperature shifts than any other.
The subregion of Bannockburn has enjoyed the most success historically but the area’s exceptional growth has moved to the promising regions of Cromwell/Bendigo and Alexandra districts. Central Otago is known for its fruity and full-bodied Pinot noir. With the freedom to experiment here, growers and winemakers are easily exhibiting the area’s great potential.