Misha's Vineyard The Starlet Central Otago Sauvignon Blanc 2023

Description

Dry, Feijoa, Lime

"It's finely scented and enticing on he nose, showing crunchy apple, feijoa, lemongrass and lime peel aromas, followed by a splendidly flavoursome palate offering bright fruit intensity with beautifully pitched acidity. Varietally expressive with textured mouthfeel and delicate complexity. At its best: now to 2028" Sam Kim, WIne Orbit, Oct 2023

"Bright, even, pale yellow. The nose is pretty with lush aromas of orchard fruit, guava, citrus, dill and blossom. Medium-bodied, aromas of pear, pink guava, lemon and lime melded with dill, cardamom and pear blossom. The creamy mouthfeel adorned by ripe, dusty phenolics, flows with a poised, lively acid line. This Sauvignon Blanc is elegant with lovely layers of ripe, delicate fruit, spice and a plush mouthfeel" Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Reviews, Nov 2023

"Pungent, varietal and enticing bouquet led by the classic scents of the variety with an equal measure of minerality and purity. Aromas and flavours of lemon and fresh red apple, there’s a combination of cape gooseberry and fresh green herbs, there’s a steely mineral quality as the wine develops in glass and with a light savoury quality this is a wine that shows myriad attributes simultaneously. Taut and dry with a plenty of acidity giving a salivating palate squeeze, flavours are persistent with a saline touch on the finish. An excellent example from the region. Best drinking from 2024 through 2030+" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Oct 2023

Surprising aromas of liquorice and fennel, the palate unfolds with a refreshing burst of lemon and lime with notes of cinnamon and walnut giving a delightfully unique experience.

Overall, it was an excellent season in Central Otago with warm temperatures and very little rainfall. Early in the season, cool and cloudy weather impacted flowering which had us concerned about the subsequent fruit set but it wasn’t an issue. The warm and settled conditions throughout the season enabled excellent canopy growth. There was much less impact from the usual spring winds and we had some well-timed rain at the end of the season. All these factors resulted in above average berry weights with bunch numbers also high from the previous season’s ideal conditions. This resulted in a record total crop, and whilst positive, the conditions did require an extra level of vineyard management with multiple row passes to ensure quality was maintained. This Sauvignon Blanc was hand-picked at 6.1 T/ha and Growing Degree Days (GDDs) were 1167.

After a few initial hours of gentle skin contact, the hand-picked fruit was whole bunch pressed to tank for settling. The majority (64%) of the free run and some pressings juice were then racked, inoculated and cool fermented to dryness in stainless steel to retain varietal purity. The remaining portion was wild fermented in mostly older French oak barrels. A small proportion of juice (3%) was taken to a single new oak barrel from the tank ferment then returned when dry to give another level of complexity. All these techniques add more texture and complex mineral/flint characters to the wine.

Food Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc is a refreshing dry white wine with our textural style displaying more intense tropical fruit flavours. It’s a wine that can be savoured on its own or enjoyed with food where it’s particularly suited to fresh and grilled seafood, ideal with most appetisers and a perfect match to salads, vegetable dishes or white meats. The best cheese pairings include goat, feta or sharp cheddars.