• Dry style
• Passionfruit
• Blackcurrant
• Elegantly balanced

This single vineyard rendition of Sauvignon Blanc is from the regeneratively farmed Holdaway Vineyard at Dillons Point - our favourite sub-region for the variety. It is a classic expression of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, being 100% tank fermented, but it offers complexity of texture and a mineral drive that summons river stones and sea spray. Blackcurrant, guava and passionfruit are captured alongside the subtest hint of oyster-shell. This wine is focused and explosive on both nose and palate yet remains elegantly balanced and distinctly salty.

It was a nervy start to the 2023 growing season in Marlborough, with variable conditions at flowering in December leading to lower yields and loose bunches. This proved to be a critical factor of the success of 2023, as the La Nina conditions meant evenly spread raines throughout late summer and early autumn did not case disease issues. Cold nights held botrytis at bay and ensured naturally high acidity in the fruit. An exceptional weather run through March and April was the final, and the region was rewarded with intense flavours ansd ripeness levels across the district.

The Holdaway Vineyard is in the Dillons Point subregion located on the coastal fringe of the Wairau Valley. The vineyard is owned by the Holdaway family who have been farming in Marlborough for generations and is currently run by Alan and Janette and their sons Richard and Robbie. They are passionate advocates of regeneratives viticulture; among other things thry grow impressive inter-row mixed species plantings and follow a sero-till philosophy to build all-important organic matter and microbial diversity in the soil. The alluvial silts here are fertile and deep but are well-drained, with plenty of mineral nutrients, which is perfect for nutrient-hungry Sauvignon Blanc. The vineyard is VSP-trained and cane-pruned.

Grapes were machine harvested in the cool of the night to ensure no harsh phenolics were extracted and acidity was preserved. The grapes were crushed and gently pressed in a pneumatic press to avoid skin contact, and the juice transferred directly into stainless steel. The must was settled naturally and fermented at cool temperatures. Post-fermentation it was left on light lees to increase textural complexity. It was gently crossflow filtered prior to bottling.