Winemaker Notes
Eradus vines grow on a slender terrace at the edge of the Awatere River, with a climate and soil structure all of its own. Influenced by a fault line, a river, and the power of the nearby Pacific Ocean, our land is stony and dry, windy and cool, so that our wines have elegance, minerality and crisp clean acidity. We let the untamable terroir of the Awatere Valley speak through our vines, creating wines that are the Essence of the Awatere.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Sauvignon Blanc shows no signs of dilution. It's all Awatere Valley fruit, mostly from the estate, with a couple of blocks of purchased fruit from slightly inland. Grassy and leafy notes accent the ripe nectarine fruit on the nose, while the medium-bodied palate is concentrated and round, with pink grapefruit notes that linger harmoniously on the finish.
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Decanter
Pure fruit on the nose and palate. Pleasing texture in the mouth with citrus and passion fruit flavors and bountiful acidity.
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Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of snow pea, tomato leaf and jalapeño lead the charge, but they’re balanced by ripe tropical and stone fruit that temper the greenness. On the palate things feel riper, offering a viscous texture that’s balanced by cheek-biting acidity. The finish is tangy and satisfying.
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.