A truly thoughtful and classy expression of Sauvignon Blanc. The nose exudes vibrancy, showing lifted notes of white passionfruit and lemon balm, supported by a savoury, leafy edge, contributed by the inclusion of Sémillon. The palate is layered a textural, balanced by a slate-like, mineral acidity. The exclusive use of native yeasts and a portion of the wine aging on lees in oak barrels has aided in creating this sophisticated Sauvignon Blanc.

Winemaking
Seven parcels of fruit were picked from our biodynamic vineyard, Raupo Creek. The grapes were pressed and the juice settled naturally before being racked, taking light lees to small stainless steel tanks or older French oak barriques and puncheons for natural fermentation. The parcels remained on lees for 5 months, then were blended, stabilised and filtered. A small portion of Sémillon (10%) is included in the blend. The portion of barrel fermentation is 10%. There is no new oak in this wine.

Vintage
Despite the challenging season that Mother Nature provided early on, the vineyard at Raupo shone, looking remarkably vibrant, alive and healthy. We were blessed also with a lovely even flowering so the bunches in general were smaller and evenly spread across the canopy, and naturally low. Smaller berries and bunches certainly gave a level of concentration that was welcomed. The season was not easy, and certainly wet in the months leading up to harvest; so to see the cleanliness of the fruit was very encouraging. This was a direct result of the judicious management by our vineyard team, who all worked tirelessly all season despite the weather. Luckily, for the first time in several years, for the whole harvest period, we had a run of very dry, settled weather which enabled the team to harvest each plot exactly when we wished.

Viticulture
Our clay rich Raupo Creek vineyard, farmed following organic and biodynamic principles is located in the centre of the Omaka Valley. This vineyard has a gentle north-west facing aspect and enjoys high sunshine hours and minimal rain.