Oyster Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023

Oyster Bay's philosophy is to produce fine, distinctively regional wines that are elegant and assertive with glorious fruit flavours. It all starts in the vineyard. They treat each vineyard block and parcel of wine individually. The fruit is crushed, gently pressed and the juice is cold settled. A long, slow temperature controlled fermentation and immediate bottling after winemaking retains all the wonderful fruit flavours and aromas that are present.

Prime central Wairau, Renwick and Brancott soils. Shallow sandy loams over deep layers of free draining river gravels, providing moderate fertility and low vigour.

An emphasis on Bordeaux and UCD1 clones for pure, instantly recognisable varietal intensity and flavour. Medium-to-low vigour rootstock selection matched for suitability to clone and soil vigour.

Throughout harvest, fruit was selected from progressively later ripening vineyard blocks, commencing with the coastal vineyards. Upon receipt to the winery, the grapes were de-stemmed and transferred to the tank presses where the free-run juice was separated and the remaining fruit lightly pressed. The juice was clarified and then inoculated with a select range of yeasts for added complexity and aromaticity during fermentation in stainless steel tanks. A slow, temperature controlled fermentation at 12–14°C (54–59°F) was undertaken. After a short period of yeast lees contact, the wine was racked for final blending and bottled young to ensure that the fresh, crisp and elegant varietal characters were retained.

Excellent fruit from an extraordinary vintage has produced intense flavours accompanied by a fresh acidity. A true display of Marlborough famed cool climate viticulture. Winery Notes