• Dry style
• Grapefruit
• Crisp acidity
• Lingering finish

The wine is pale straw in colour. A complex, well layered wine displaying fresh citrus, grapefruit and white pepper on the nose. The well weighty palate features fresh citrus, tomato leaf with an underlying herbaceous character and minerality. The crisp acidity carries through to the pallet that leads to a lingering finish. This wine is made to be enjoyed young but may be cellared carefully for 2-3 years while more developed flavours emerge.

In the Awatere Valley, the soils are composed of three distinct layers: a thin semi-fertile soil, a middle layer of river stones and shingle, and all underpinned by an impervious mudstone layer that effectively prevents the roots of the vines from penetrating further and hence controls the vine’s vigour. The Sauvignon Blanc clones in the Awatere Valley are Mass selection on a variety of rootstocks including; 5C, Schwarzmann,101-14 Millardet and SO4. The vines are 10 to 14 years old. They are trellised on VSP with 3 canes laid down.

Fruit is sourced entirely from the Awatere Valley. The grapes were 100% machine harvested using Pellenc fruit sorter which destem the grapes in the vineyard immediately after picking. The grapes were trucked to the winery, crushed and gently bag pressed off to achieve fresh, elegant juice. The juice was then promptly clarified to fermentation tank. 15% of the blend was fermented in 7,500L older French Oak Cuves to enhance mid palate texture and complexity while the balance was fermented at cool temperatures in stainless steel tanks with cultured yeast to retain the very distinctive regional and varietal characters of Sauvignon Blanc from the Awatere Valley. After fermentation was complete, all cuve and tank components were evaluated and blended carefully ensuring vibrant regional characters were retained while getting the good texture on the mid-palate.

Food Pairing: Equally fresh, vibrant food will match beautifully. Seafood is a classic match for this wine, such as oysters, mussels. Grilled fish such as salmon, served with salads with green herbs or lemon will match well, too. Try a Greek salad with sun-ripened tomatoes and salty feta. A richer meal such as risotto can match well if it features seafood or ‘grassy’ ingredients like asparagus or pea shoots.