Main Divide North Canterbury Sauvignon Blanc 2024

Description

Dry, Floral, Passionfruit

"Bright, nicely pungent and fruity with an herbaceous edge lead to flavours of pineapple and a passionfruit, some fresh herbs and baseline of gravelly soil ideas. Holding the wine on the palate reveals a satin texture with contrasting acid line and flavours that reflect the bouquet plus lemon and a touch of cape gooseberry. The acid line has a touch pf natural spritz too adding to the mouthfeel and finish. Well made" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Nov 2024

"Fresh and attractively lifted, the bouquet shows grape fruit, Gala apple, lemon zest and jasmine aromas. The palate delivers vibrant fruit intensity, combined with fine texture and juicy acidity, making it flavoursome and delightfully appealing" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Nov 2024

"A pale straw colour with a lime hue fills the glass. On the delicate nose you have green capsicum, gooseberries, a hint of citrus and fresh lemongrass notes. The light-footed palate has a fleshy engagement and a spritz of acidity giving a spotlight to those lemon and lime juice flavours, along with green apple and grapefruit skin nuances combining to express a vibrant mid-palate personality and finishing as it started with a vibrant zesty dismount off the tongue" Gavin Hubble, Gape to Glass, Nov 2024

"Partly estate-grown at Waipara, tank-fermented and bottled early, the youthful, pale lemon/green 2024 vintage is a highly aromatic wine. Medium-to-full-bodied, it is strongly varietal with punchy, tropical fruit and green capsicum flavours, dry and tangy. Showing good intensity and vigour" Michael Cooper, Jan 2025

With its pale lemon sheen, the nose thrills the senses with a barrage of grapefruit, lemon grass, jalapeno and passionfruit, framed with snippets of citrus blossom and crushed thyme. As the volley subsides, it exposes a steely, mineral underbelly. The palate is tightly coiled, with a zesty and energetic mouthfeel, displaying vibrant acidity that flows through the mouth, delivering a lengthy, salivating climax.

Main Divide is the local name for the Southern Alps and is the backbone of the South Island, where grapes for Main Divide are exclusively sourced. Vineyards have been selected for their quality and ability to express unique regional flavours.

Cooler and windier conditions during Spring meant lower crop levels, keeping fruit thinning to a minimum. The weather gods then handed us the opposite during Summer, with a warm and settled state prevailing, so this smaller crop was able to mature beautifully. Autumn was similarly favourable, allowing each variety to be picked at its optimum ripeness. Our 2024 harvest saw smaller yields across the board, but as a result we were blessed with intense fruit flavour and concentration, delivering some outstanding wines.

The grapes were sourced from our own Te Hau vineyard on Georges Road, as well as a local North Canterbury grower. Fruit was left to hang until a brix level of approximately 23 brix was reached, the aim being to add some additional richness in the wine. After gentle pressing of the berries, the free run juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks at cool temperatures and bottled shortly after, to retain its zesty aromas and vibrant fruit character. Winemaking intervention was intentionally kept to a minimum to allow the vintage, variety, and vineyards to express themselves harmoniously.