Winemaker Notes
The 2020 is a remarkable Cape Crest; palest lemon and brilliant in the glass. Luscious citrus and succulent stone fruit slide effortlessly towards a precise and lingering finish of gooseberry, lime and sea salt. Among all the ripe and pure fruit on the palate floats crunchy acidity and complexing grace-notes of dill, coriander, beeswax and woodsmoke. Cape Crest Sauvignon Blanc 2020 is a signature example, with drive, moreish appeal and elegance to spare.
Blend: 85% Sauvignon Blanc, 9% Semillon, 6% Sauvignon Gris
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Cape Crest Sauvignon Blanc is reductive and flinty on the nose, with curry leaf and mustard seed, dried tobacco and brine, layers of cinnamon cassia and bay leaf. I am learning that reduction is a polarizing character; however, I love it. I am one of the fans. On the palate, the reduction carries on; it courses through the palate and laces up the finish, with crushed nuts and flint, white pepper with graphite, new leather and lemon acid.
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Wine Enthusiast
Te Mata’s barrel-fermented Sauvignon is blended with a little Semillon and Sauvignon Gris. This vintage is as deftly crafted as the last but is more tightly wound when first opened. Give it air and only a quick chill to allow the citrus, dried tarragon, white blossoms and cream to shine. The acidity is bracing and the oak shows a bit on the palate, but overall there’s beautiful length, texture and flavor depth on this well-structured wine.
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Vinous
The 2020 Cape Crest is a white Bordeaux-like blend barrel fermentation (30% new) offering nutty and flinty notes alongside nectarine, black currants, custard apple and citrus flavors. A little more than light in body a splash of Sémillon adds weight to this mainly Sauvignon cuvee there's also a light grainy texture and a hint of sea salt on the fresh, balanced finish. A very appetizing, well-crafted style.
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.