Winemaker Notes
Since the first release of this wine in 2007, we have done very little in the way of manipulative winemaking in the winery. All picking decisions are made by physically walking the rows and tasting the fruit. The wine then undergoes cool tank fermentation, and is left on light lees for six months before being bottled. The wine is bone dry to accentuate the mineral purity of this unique vineyard-its “turangawaewae”, its sense of place. Minerality, sea salt and lime are the backbone to this wine. Rarangi presents fresh vibrant aromatics of citrus, lemongrass, guava and subtle cilantro characters. The palate shows purity of fruit and a dedication to texture and crunchy acidity, true to site, with a ripe phenolic spine. A Sauvignon Blanc well suited to a variety of foods; freshly shucked oysters or pan seared scallops to Thai dishes.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
The Rarangi Vineyard is a third of a mile from the coast, on a plain that ranges from gravelly soils to uplifted seabed, a warm site cooled by the ocean winds. It produced a juicy, round sauvignon in 2016, a wine with fruit flavors one taster described as green plum, another as kiwi. There’s tight, floral acidity surrounding the fruit, giving the wine a nervous feel, setting it up for clams roasted with garlic.
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.