Wither Hills Wairau Valley Sauvignon Blanc

Distinctly Marlborough, this Sauvignon Blanc exudes vibrant ripe citrus notes, crunchy greens and hints of tropical guava on the nose.

Aromas

Distinctly Marlborough, this Sauvignon Blanc exudes vibrant ripe citrus notes, crunchy greens and hints of tropical guava on the nose.

Palate

The palate is refined and elegant with superb natural fruit weight providing a juicy core of layered fruit, entwined with a salty textural acidity, vibrant citrus pith and a moreish dry chalky finish. Another remarkable Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc.

Food Pairing

A perfect match with plump oysters, green lip mussels, even prosciutto and rock melon.

Winemaking

Our vineyards were harvested at optimum flavour ripeness. The fruit from each vineyard was kept separate throughout the winemaking process to ensure integrity of each site and to provide the greatest possible number of blending combinations. The fruit was gently pressed, cold settled, racked and cool fermented with selected yeast strains to enhance the unique aromatics and flavours. After fermentation the wines remained on light yeast lees to enhance palate feel an structure. The wines were then racked, blended, filtered and bottled to retain and capture the remarkable freshness of this Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

Viticulture

Frost alarms sounded throughout the spring months in Marlborough during the lead up to the 2018 vintage. Early November proved to be a particularly challenging time with hard frosts occurring when vine shoots had just escaped their buds. Fortunately we sustained minimal damage and the majority of the crop was left to ripen unhindered. This cold snap in early spring eventually gave way to warmer temperatures which persisted for the duration of the season and favourable conditions during flowering led to a successful fruit set.

A large rainfall event in the New Year gave vines a much needed drink and some reprieve from the drought conditions that had plagued the district over the previous 18 months. The warm conditions that continued during the Autumnal months meant there was little pressure during picking and that the grapes were ripe for picking when it came to harvest. With 2016 being one of the warmest seasons on record, the bountiful crops were given ample time to reach optimum maturity under marginal disease pressure.