• Dry style
• Smoky oak
• Tropical fruit
• Fine acidity

"A wine of purity and poise, the elegantly lifted bouquet shows white flesh nectarine, Gala apple, lemon peel and green tea aromas with a touch of oatmeal complexity. The palate offers excellent concentration and focus, backed by firm acidity, leading to a wonderfully long structured finish. At its best: now to 2027" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, May 2020

"Last tasted nearly two years ago. Whole-bunch pressed and fermented in large oak foudres to add both complexity and texture. Rich, creamy, textural wine with capsicum, nectarine and passionfruit flavours gaining extra complexity from nut and ginger lees characters. Still crisp and youthful but showing good integration after a little bottle age" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Feb 2020

"A riper, full-bodied style of sauvignon; more apricot and peach in spectrum than citrus and grass. There is a touch of barrel-aged character, with some nutmeg notes coming through. Nicely constructed, this is an attractive wine with a long creamy finish" Winestate Magazine, Jun 2018

The wine displays an intriguing nose with a smoky oak lift, and a complex yet restrained array of tropical fruits, stonefruit and citrus notes with an undercurrent of gentle herbal elements. The palate is textural and soft, yet still framed with a fine acid line giving a precise drive and flavour length.

100% Marlborough, sourced exclusively from the Waihopai Valley ‘Sound of White’ vineyard. Impeccably managed by Fraser Brown, fruit for this wine was again sourced from within our 3.1Ha ‘D’ Block at Sound of White Vineyard. This block has a strong clay presence which provides an inherent richness and density to the fruit. We also note a strong site specific aromatic profile from this block which presents as gentle alpine herbs and a mouth watering saline character on the palate.

The 2016/17 growing season started perfectly and the promise of a text book harvest was high, with a dry warm windy Summer and abundant fruit. Just prior to harvest a series of irregular rain events through March and again in April necessitated quick thinking and pragmatic harvest decisions to bring fruit into the winery in healthy condition. The terrific start to the season, which followed through Summer, ensured flavours and aromas remained strong.

Winemaking could not be easier for this wine. Cloudy juice is run to large 4000L and 5700L French oak foudres for uninoculated, warm fermentation. The wine then sits unsulphured on heavy lees for the next 10 months. As with the 2016, this wine has majorly gone through malolactic fermentation, lending the wine aromatic intrigue and enhanced mouthfeel. A small parcel of skin contact fermented wine was also incorporated into this wine for added texture.

Food Pairing: Try with poultry and pork dishes and heartier seafood meals.