Petal & Stem Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024

Winemaking Notes
Carefully selected parcels of Sauvignon Blanc were selected from Petal & Stem's Marlborough vineyards, where they were harvested at optimum ripeness to capture the pure fruit flavours of guava and passionfruit that define this wine. At the winery, the fruit was gently pressed and clarified, ensuring that only the highest quality juice proceeded to fermentation, with this careful handling preserving the aromatic intensity and vibrant character that are hallmarks of exceptional Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. After clarification, the clear juice was inoculated using a range of selected yeasts, chosen specifically to enhance the wine's fresh and zesty character whilst allowing the natural fruit expression to shine through. A long cool fermentation in stainless steel tanks retained the vibrant, fresh characters Sauvignon Blanc is known for, with the controlled temperature ensuring that the guava and passionfruit aromatics remained pure and expressive whilst the crisp acidity that harmonises with the sweet fruit was preserved. After fermentation, the wine was blended, stabilised, and filtered before bottling, with each step carefully managed to maintain the wine's fresh, zesty palate and mineral finish that makes it so wonderfully food-friendly and immediately enjoyable.

Vintage Conditions
The 2024 vintage in Marlborough benefited from the region's exceptional growing conditions, with the flourishing ecosystem amongst the vineyard rows—where wildflowers create a secret world between the vines and beneficial insects dance from petal to stem—contributing to the health and balance of the vines throughout the growing season. The natural approach to pest management, with little friends between the flowers helping to protect the vines naturally, allowed the Sauvignon Blanc grapes to develop optimal ripeness whilst retaining the crisp acidity and mineral character that define this wine. Marlborough's cool maritime climate provided the long, steady ripening period essential for developing the pure fruit flavours of guava and passionfruit that brim from the glass, whilst the region's characteristic sunny days and cool nights ensured that the grapes maintained the fresh, vibrant character and zesty acidity that make this vintage so exceptional. The careful selection of parcels from across the Marlborough vineyards allowed winemaker Natalie Christensen to blend fruit that captures the very best of the vintage, with each parcel contributing its unique characteristics to create a wine where sweet fruit and crisp acidity harmonise perfectly, culminating in a fresh, zesty palate with a mineral finish that showcases both the quality of the 2024 vintage and Petal & Stem's commitment to doing things both differently and beautifully.