Winemaker Notes
#73 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2020
Enticing aromas of grapefruit, feijoa, bell pepper and a hint of orange zest. Mouth filling and vibrant with flavours of citrus, green herbs and tropical fruits. The mid palate is rich and textured while retaining fine acidity and elegance overall.
2019 has the ripeness and structure to promote in ageing ability. Fruit will be at its most vibrant in the first 2 years but expect this vintage to retain its freshness until at least 2024. The palate richness and complex characters should become more apparent as cellaring progresses.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Restrained grassy nose. Fresh and zingy on the palate with notes of tropical fruit. Most satisfying.
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Wine Spectator
"Ruby grapefruit, passionfruit and green apple flavors are vibrant and expressive on a juicy frame. The fruit flavors show terrific transparency, with a touch of green tea peeking through the long finish.
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.