Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
Rapaura Springs is a family owned winery based in the heart of Marlborough, Rapaura, New Zealand. We all have one shot at life and only so many vintages on the planet. We want to make ours count. A lot of people say great winemaking begins in the vineyard but, for us, it begins high in the Southern Alps above our home.
It takes six months for the pure water from these snow-capped mountains to filter through bedrock and make its way to our Rapaura Springs and vineyards - and another six months for our vines to grow and bear fruit for harvest. A full year in the cycle of nature that defines our lives and shapes the way we live.
Each bottle of Rapaura Springs tells a story of a lifetime in Marlborough — of water and wine, and working with nature. Wines made by family, filled with resilience and realised dreams, of bettering our best and breaking boundaries. Discovering new things and savouring the moment. Sunrises and sunsets — days full of fun, and full of hard work. We appreciate what we’ve got and constantly redefine what we’ve got to give. Year on year, sharing new perspectives from our home in Marlborough.
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.
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.