Amisfield Central Otago Sauvignon Blanc 2023

Description

Blackcurrant, Dry, Lemon

• Dry style
• Passionfruit
• Lemongrass
• Juicy acidity

"Robust Sauvignon that reminds me a bit of a Bordeaux Blanc Sec. The wine is dry with green capsicum, herbs and honeydew melon supported by assertive acidity" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Jan 2024

Intensely aromatic with ripe passionfruit and more subtle delicate flavours of lemongrass, fennel and elderflower. The wine shows great concentration and drive, with a textural mid palate framed by succulent juicy bright acidity. The majority of fruit was cool fermented in stainless steel, with a small component of barrel fermented wine blended in for texture.

The majority of our Sauvignon Blanc vines are planted in the shallow sandy loam soils on the gently sloping top terrace above the winery, with a small portion growing on the more fertile flats below.

A gentle winter and spring allowed ideal conditions for strong budburst and blossoming until December. Low frost and wind contributed to robust vine health, yielding a remarkably lush canopy. Extreme heat and low rainfall between December & February meant the vines struggled with water stress but grape ripening still tracked well. We anticipated an early harvest, however, temperatures moderated, and a cold March realigned us with historical norms. Harvest was marked with intermittent weather events, slowing us down, but allowing the team the opportunity to be more attentive to their picking of impeccably clean, highquality fruit across the estate.

The grapes were harvested over a two-week period according to their flavour and aromatic profile using a combination of hand and machine harvesting. Individual parcels of fruit were destemmed and fermented separately at cool temperatures in stainless steel tanks, using selected yeasts. A small component was barrel fermented and blended in for texture.