Capturing the essence of Marlborough, this Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc is a blend of selective vineyards from both the Wairau and Awatere valleys. Pungent tropical aromas lead into a juicy palate bursting with zesty grapefruit and rock-melon but finishing with flavours of fresh herbs and grassy nettles.

Vineyard blocks from the warmer Wairau Valley are chosen to express concentrated riper tropical Sauvignon Blanc notes, whereas the cooler windier Awatere Valley takes longer to ripen producing dominant herbal and bell pepper characters. The 2018 growing season started with an excellent spring and a strong flowering period which was followed by a long spell of hot weather with regular rainfall events through the summer months. With ample soil moisture, our harvest started earlier than the previous two vintages, luckily the cooler autumn weather helped retain natural acidities as the season progressed. Despite the challenges in the season due to intermittent rainfall events, the Marlborough winery team are delighted with the quality and flavours of the wines this year.

The Sauvignon Blanc grapes destined for this Cellar Selection wine were harvested in cool night temperatures to protect the aromatics. Clear juice is slowly fermented in stainless steel tanks using selected aromatic yeast strains. The wine is left to mature on yeast lees for a period of time to build palate weight and texture into the wine, without compromising freshness.