Winery & Vintage Info
The growing season began cold and unsettled, with some sharp frosts over the flowering period. This resulted in a lower-than-average crop as summer arrived, and arrive it did.
In Marlborough, we experienced our driest 10 months since records began, with drought being declared in mid-March. The low soil moisture levels meant that the vines were almost entirely dependent on regular irrigation applications to sustain them through the summer. It was also beautifully sunny, and certainly a blessing from a disease-control point of view.
The lack of rainfall reduced the yield still further than the spring frosts, and the warm weather led to an early harvest. Fortunately, cooler nights from late February onwards, ensured that ripening slowed and acid balance was retained.
With the fruit in pristine condition, this ideal climate gave us the time to slow down our decision making as we approached harvest. Each of our blocks was able to reach its full potential before picking.
Our Sauvignon Blanc comes largely from vineyards planted on the Wairau Valley floor, where the climate and free-draining gravelly soils are perfect for Sauvignon Blanc. This includes the Estate, Motukawa, Widow’s Block, Red Shed, and Mustang vineyards.
Following the harvest, the free-run juice was cold settled, before racking and inoculation with selected yeast. Fermentation was carried out primarily in stainless steel tanks, with around 1.5% of the blend fermented at warmer temperatures in large format oak vats. A portion was also fermented using wild yeast to build texture and complexity. As usual, our Sauvignon Blanc was blended stringently to include only the best; in 2024 we tasted 81 different portions, of which 55 were selected to create the final blend.
