TASTING NOTE Decadent patisserie aromatics – brioche, homemade apricot jam and lemon curd, layers of nectarine, yellow peach and ripe pineapple – infused with herbal nuances of tarragon and thyme. Fermented entirely with naturally occurring yeast, this is an alternative style of sauvignon blanc that is both intricate and textural with a rich, generous palate.

VITICULTURE Fruit was sourced from various vineyard sites in the Southern Valleys and the central Wairau Plains, specifically in Woodbourne, Renwick and Rapaura. Soil types vary from the young alluvial deposits of Rapaura and Renwick, which contain high proportions of greywacke river stones, to the older and denser clay-loams of the Southern Valleys. A high percentage of the vineyards were trained using the divided Scott Henry canopy management system, with the balance on two- or three-cane VSP (vertical shoot positioning).

WINEMAKING Some vineyards were harvested by machine and others by hand, all into halftonne bins, which were tipped directly into tank presses. The grapes were pressed relatively lightly and the resulting juice was cold-settled prior to racking into mostly old French oak barriques. The juice was allowed to undergo spontaneous indigenous yeast fermentation, the tail end of which continued for well over six months. The wine had occasional lees stirring and approximately two-thirds underwent malo-lactic fermentation. It was transferred out of oak prior to the following harvest and left on yeast lees for a further six months. The wine was bottled in December 2016.

	2015
	Sauvignon Blanc
	Hawkesbury, Marlborough, New Zealand
	6-10°C
	14
	Oaked

Body of wine: Full

Pairings: