Reviews
Raymond Chan: 5★ 18.5/20 points
Bright, pale, straw-yellow colour, lighter on rim. The nose is full, solid and deep with aromas of ripe nectarine fruit with savoury yellow stonefruits and subtle nuances of beans and asparagus, backed by restrained nutty oak. Dry to taste and full-bodied, ripe nectarine and nutty oak flavours fill the palate, with nuances of greengages and herbs adding interest. The mouthfeel is soft, smooth and rounded with some alcohol warmth adding to the generosity. A little textural grip emerges and combined with the alcohol provides power and drive, carrying the flavours to a very long, dry finish. This is a full, solid and rounded, oak-aged Sauvignon Blanc with nectarine and nutty flavours. Match with grilled seafood, poultry and herb-marinated pork over the next 3+ years. Hand-picked fruit, WBP and fully barrel-fermented with indigenous yeasts to 14.0% alc., the wine aged 10 months in 83% new French oak barriques, the wine undergoing batonnage and partial MLF
Reviews & Awards
WC SB 10
5 Stars - Raymond Chan Wine Reviews
Regional Characteristics
Typically, Hawkes Bay produces a more lime/citrus aromatic, with some passionfruit. Hawkes Bay tends to be less overt in the grassy and green capsicum spectrum. Hawkes Bay can be more flinty and complex, while never hitting the powerful and exotic intensity of Marlborough. Arguably, Hawkes Bay might be considered more Sancerre like....
Winemaker's Intention
Sourced from a small area within the vineyard, where we believe we have uncovered our best soil, rootstock, clonal combination. It represents less than 4% of our total Sauvignon Blanc production. We’re looking to make a unique full-bodied sauvignon with considerable depth and complexity. With 100% fermentation in French barrels and use of a little MLF and wild/natural yeasts, we’re really looking for the wine to express nothing but personality. Intense citrus and mineral flavours complemented by chalky textural lees, spicy oak highlights resulting in a wine with concentration, focused structure and individuality.
