Colour
A delicate, pale green/gold.
Nose
Passionfruit driven on the nose, this wine presents with soft acidity across the palate, showing tropical notes of lemongrass and grassy flavours.
Palate
A rich and complex wine with a lovely balanced finish, range of flavour and length.

Vintage
The La Niña weather pattern was the dominating influence of our 2023 growing season, which brought less hot North-westerly winds, normally a mainstay of our season, and replaced them with regular cooling Easterly winds. The start to spring was cool with temperatures below average. Despite that, as the season progressed, temperatures picked up and we experienced good flowering conditions, resulting in a healthy and balanced crop. Summer saw us experience 30+ degree days mixed in with considerably colder spells. Over Autumn we experienced more of the same, with temperatures fluctuating between spells of beautiful warm sunny days, followed regularly by cold southerlies.
These weather patterns, while presenting a challenge, meant the team started picking later allowing for sugar levels to rise. Minimal rain over this time meant the fruit could be held on the vine allowing it to reach our desired levels of ripeness.
Winemaking
The fruit was harvested at maximum flavour as assessed through frequent tasting in the vineyard by the winemaker. We picked across the vineyard at different times and degrees of ripeness to allow the individual cuvees a range of site expression. Extended skin contact time was used prior to crushing to enhance extraction of the aromatic compounds. The fruit was then very gently pressed to avoid harsh phenolic extraction and the juice allowed to cold settle. The clear juice was fermented at low temperatures using a range of yeast renowned for their ability to enhance the Sauvignon Blanc aromas. A balanced amount of residual sugar was left in the wine to complement the acidity and to add palate weight and structure.
Awards & Accolades
- 17/20 Jancis Robinson
- 5 Stars (94 points) | Sam Kim Wine Orbit
Specifications
Year | 2023 |
Bottle Size | 750ml |
Cultivar | 100% Sauvignon Blanc |
Country | New Zealand |
Alcohol content
|
12.5% alc vol
|
Units of alcohol per bottle | 9.38 units |
Type | White Wine |
Cellaring Potential |
2023-2025 – will continue to develop for a further 5 years |
Allergen Information | Contains Sulphites |
Food Matches |
Fresh grilled fish like calamari or swordfish, this wine is lovely with salmon flavoured with dill and recipes that include fresh herbs like basil, coriander, rocket and mint. |
Appellation | Waipara Valley, North Canterbury |