Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2021
$ 25.00We celebrate an entirely new generation of this wine at our estate, planted in sites prepared specifically for its three clonal varieties, selected in New Zealand for their adaptability to our warm growing conditions.
Fermentation and aging in stainless steel, with extended contact with the lees, capture the vibrant aromas and refreshing palate of Sauvignon Blanc with firm body and lively food friendliness.
Featured profile
We credit the fundamental beauty of this varietal for our persistence with its original plantings, dating from 1984, which nevertheless yielded very variable satisfaction from vintage to vintage. No winelover willingly contemplates a parting with Sauvignon Blanc, but as winegrowers, we are interested in cultivating varietals which portray the virtues of our terroir at their best.
By the 25th vintage we resolved to replace all of our original 5-acre plantings, if selections of greater adaptability to our land and climate could be discovered. Our viticulturist Fernando Franco and our consultant from the University of Bordeaux, Denis Debourdieu, are to be credited with recommending a complete renovation in our Sauvignon Blanc plantings. Fernando was dispatched to New Zealand in 2009, to meet with leading growers in the Marlborough district, where weather patterns resemble our own, and where Sauvignon Blanc has been dramatically successful. We cannot point to a more productive exploration.
In Marlborough we identified 3 distinctive specimens of Sauvignon Blanc of high promise for our vineyards, and promptly planted 2.5 acres, with 5 more acres going into the ground in 2010. 2012 gave us our first, small vintage based entirely on the new plantings. At harvest we knew we had discovered the varietal character which had so tempted but eluded us, in the extraordinary complexity and concentration derived from these three superb selections. Again our preference for investigating multiple genetic profiles was rewarded by a weave of the most alluring aromatic layers of grapefruit, passion fruit and tart spice, fully validated on the palate. These investigations resulted in techniques which continue to rely on no exotic vinification methods, holding to our classic stainless steel fermentation, with cold pressing of one vineyard lot after 48 hours under refrigeration at 40º F to suppress oxidation. The lees are stirred every 10 days in tank, over approximately 6 months, and the wine is produced without blending.
FOOD PAIRINGS
Risotto with asparagus and fried leeks
Pan seared sea bass with shaved fennel salad
Spinach and rice cakes with roast pepper purée
TASTING NOTES
A vivacious effusion of citrusy freshness, joined by classic herbal notes and traces of lush kiwi, as the wine settles into a pleasantly long finish.
Vinification
VINTAGE FACTORS
Cellar life 15 yrs
The season opened in late March on a note of suspense – early bud break and frost threats, which were mitigated by our wind machines. Perfectly timed spring rains then allowed for a superior bloom of the clusters in early June. Ideally, from early July we received 7 weeks of very warm and dry weather. Manual watering took place in some parcels with low water retention, and in mid-August we received needed rain. Harvest took place at optimal ripening times between August 14th and September 21st. The 2021 weather gifted us with some of the most admirably balanced wines we have produced, reminiscent of the elegance we saw in Octagon 2009, winner of our 4th Governor’s Cup.
Fermentation
In stainless steel for 15 days at 55º F
Aging
On the lees in stainless steel 8 months
Composition
Sauvignon Blanc 100%
Analysis
Alcohol, 13 %
Residual Sugars, 0.2%
Total Acidity, 0.63%