Sauvignon Blanc

Wander through a block of Sauvignon Blanc vines in the days before harvest and taste the berries from either side of the row, within the shaded areas of the canopy and from the most exposed, golden clusters. The spectrum of fruit flavours and aromas which define the bright, outgoing character of this variety are all there, loud and clear. Absolutely my favourite grape to eat from the vine!

Greenhough River Garden Sauvignon Blanc is a classic ‘top of the south’ style with focus on ‘crunchy’ fresh fruit and fragrance. The Hope Vineyard Sauvignon is an alternative style which explores the complexity and textural richness that comes from skin contact and wild fermentation in barrel.

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Greenhough Sauvignon Blanc

 2022 ‘River Garden’ Sauvignon Blanc

“Certified organic, this intensely varietal wine is grown on the Waimea Plains. Freshly aromatic, it is medium-bodied with strong, vigorous tropical fruit and herbaceous flavours, woven with appetising acidity and a dry finish.”    Michael Cooper, Listener – Nov 2022

A classic ‘top of the south’ style, vibrant and ‘crunchy’ in spirit. A small portion of high solids, wild fermentation in seasoned French oak barriques has contributed subtle texture and depth to the palate.

Organically grown on the Home and Morison Vineyards, our vines are planted at higher density than is typical for this variety and pruned to a single fruiting wire. Yields are generally below ten tonnes per hectare. This fruit was machine harvested in several parcels to achieve a range of flavour profiles. Predominantly tank fermented using a selection of yeasts, a percentage of high-solids juice has been wild fermented in barrel. Tasted alone the savoury, spicy, very textural character of this portion contrasts noticeably with the fruity freshness and varietal purity of the tank fermented portion. Though largely concealed within the overall blend it contributes a layer of texture and dimension to the finished wine.

SB

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Hope Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc

2022 Hope Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc

“This has layers of complexity. Dry to taste and medium-full bodied, the palate has a tight, deep and intense core of concentrated flavours of green stonefruits entwined with fresh herbs, stalks and cut-grass unfolding greengage and nettle notes. This is a complex, oak-influenced Sauvignon Blanc with green stonefruits and cool-spectrum flavours on a palate with fine textures and very good linearity.”  18/20    Raymond Chan (2017 Vintage)

This ‘alternative’ Sauvignon Blanc leans towards a more complex and textural wine style. Wild barrel-ferment, extended lees contact and full malolactic   have contributed complexity and richness in the form of subtle aromatic corruption, savoury spice and phenolic interest.

Fruit was hand harvested and whole-bunch pressed to maximise tension and fineness of juice. Briefly settled and inoculated with a vineyard derived pied-de-cuve.  The wine rested on gross yeast lees for a further nine months and completed natural malolactic fermentation during this time.

This wine sets out to embody the characters of fruit picked a day early rather than a day too late. Aromas are distinctly varietal – ripe yet fresh in equal measure.  Floral, fragrant with notes of zesty citrus oil and herbal, caraway and fennel seed characters. Also present is an added depth of savoury oak, yeast lees and a sniff of struck match complexity.

The palate is incisive and attractively structured.  It’s light, natural fruit sweetness (in the way of milk fresh from the coconut), hints of malolactic and integrated yeast and oak spice characters soften and enrich the whole. The wine fulfills the brief – to create complexity and balance out of a range of  individual elements.

SB

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