Winery & Vintage Info
Sourced from sustainable vineyards in the central and lower Wairau Valleys of Marlborough. These sites are expressive of ‘classic’ Marlborough Sauvignon, where the industry first began.
There is a quiet air of confidence around the quality of the 2023 wines. Yields were average or slightly below, which is always a trigger for in- creased quality.
Crowded House (Catalina Sounds) had more Growing Degree Days than ’20, ’21 and ’22, but also more rainfall in the earlier part of the season than the past three years. Vine growth and ripening was delayed by almost two weeks, and it was the latest start date in almost a decade. The majority of Sauvignon was harvested in April which hasn’t happened in many moons. With the extra time on the vine and clear skies through harvest, fruit was clean, brilliantly ripe with lush flavours and Marlborough acidity to match.
Harvested on the 6th of April, picked over 3-4 weeks and fermented separately to allow site expression. A slow, cool fermentation captures fruit purity, provides some tension/restraint in the wine and then is racked off it’s yeast lees to retain freshness and vibrancy.
