Te Pā, The Reserve Collection Hillside Sauvignon Blanc, 2023

100% Sauvignon Blanc from Redwood Hills Vineyard, Awatere Valley.
Planted in soils consisting of loess over free draining gravels. This naturally low vigour site does not require shoot thinning, and it gets a light leaf pluck around the fruit zone.
Winemaking
A portion of the fruit was handpicked and fermented with indigenous yeasts to add complexity to the final blend.
The remainder of the fruit was harvested in the cool of the evening and gently pressed to tank for settling. Only the first cut free run juice was taken for this wine. The juice was settled for 48 hours before being racked to ferment with light fluffy lees taken. The tank was inoculated and fermented at 12-14º.
Once fermentation had been completed the batches were left on gross lees for a further 10 weeks, prior to being racked and blended in a stainless-steel tank. The wine was kept on light lees for an additional 3 months.

Eye
Yellow gold.
Nose
Pungent aromatics of Meyer lemon, white pineapple and powdery florals with nettle, fennel and boxwood notes adding layers of complexity.
Palate
Crisp and textural with impressions of juicy lime, preserved lemon, fresh herbs and wet rock. This wine possesses classic Awatere minerality, concentrated fruit, and a long crisp refreshing finish.
Pairing
Great as an aperitif or with food.