• Dry style
• Passionfruit
• Sweet grass
• Crisp & full bodied

"Savoury, spicy, very fruity and varietal with aromas of sweet hay and gooseberry, passion fruit and fresh herbs.  A delicious wine on the palate, spicy and fruity, golden kiwifruit, passion fruit and  savoury spice. High acidity, dry finish, a core of fruit and lengthy finish. Balanced and well made. Drink now and through 2024" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Aug 2019

"Laden with scents of crushed tomato stalk and cut grass, the 2018 Awatere Valley Suavignon Blanc is very Awatere in character — cool and green to an extent that may even put off some tasters. It shows ample concentration on the medium-bodied palate, fleshing out with hints of citrus and stone fruit, while retaining its essential greenness, right through the long finish" Joe Czerwinski, Robert Parker Wine Advocate, Apr 2020

"An appealing and accessible wine" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review 2018

"A typical sub-regional style, the 2018 vintage (4.5*) has clearly herbaceous aromas and flavours. Crisp and full-bodied, it has excellent weight and depth, with strong, vigorous, nettley, slightly leesy flavours, a minerally streak, and a long, crisp, fully dry finish" Michael Cooper

"I have been fascinated by the qualities of the Marlborough sub-regions ever since I arrived as a young winemaker in 1994. I first released the Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc in 2005. As my winemaking style has evolved, I have also moved towards an Awatere-dominant blend for my Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. The dry Awatere Valley has a more extreme climate than most of Marlborough, with strong winds, variable soils, greater temperature fluctuations and a later ripening season. Vines are planted from sea level to quite high altitude, and the scarceness of irrigation water is often limiting to vine growth. As a result, the grape berry size is reduced, and flavours can be more intense. The grapes were grown by the Lissaman and Jones families. We machine-harvest the grapes at night or in the cool parts of the day to preserve the purity and intensity of flavours. In the winery, we take great care to handle the fruit in a way which allows the flavours and aromas of the valley to come through. My Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc has a full and lingering mouthfeel, dry finish and an emphasis on aromatic herbs and fresh, green fruits" Winemaker

Grown in the vineyards of the Lissaman, van Asch and Jones families. Gently undulating, well-drained, deep silt loams and moderately deep sandy loams of greywacke alluvium.

The 2017-2018 growing season was the warmest since the first grapes were planted in Marlborough in 1973. Temperatures were 1.1 degrees over the long-term average. It was wetter than normal January through March and made tricky by three extended rain events. A dry period between late February and late March helped the grapes get through in reasonable condition, and the health of the canopies ensured good flavour development.

The fruit was machine harvested in cool evening conditions, de-stemmed and lightly pressed with minimal skin contact. Clear, cold-settled juice was fermented in stainless steel vats at low temperatures, using neutral wine yeast strains to allow the powerful fruit flavours to dominate.