Nautilus Estate Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2025

Description

Dry, Grapefruit, Oak

"A wonderful rendition, the inviting bouquet shows kiwifruit, green rockmelon, kaffir lime, and jasmine aromas, followed by a splendidly expressive palate filled with juicy fruit flavours. It's punchy and powerful with excellent balance and structure, offering fabulous drinking" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Mar 2025

"An excellent wine with varietal power and punch in the bouquet, aromas of fresh pear and cape gooseberry, white pineapple and fresh basil. A just dry wine on the palate with a plush, fleshy mouthfeel, a backbone of acidity and delicate saline effect. Flavours of citrus and a distinctive mineral quality add to the core resonance through the palate. Balanced and well made with a lengthy and refreshing finish. Best drinking from 2025 through 2028" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Oct 2025

"Flint and reduction add complexity to the tart gooseberry and feijoa flavours of this otherwise archetypal sauvignon. The tight acidity leads into more austere salinity on the long, linear finish" Stephen Wong, The Real Review, Oct

"Lively and detailed, showing lemons, limes and crushed herbs mixed with chalky minerality. Medium-bodied and compact with vibrant acidity and a precise, lingering finish. Focused and well made. Vegan. Sustainable. Drink now" James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, Oct 2025

The 2025 Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc displays intense lifted aromas of lemongrass, fresh blackcurrant buds and ripe grapefruit. The palate introduces delightful lime zest flavours with mouth-watering intensity finishing with a strong textural component.

The 2025 growing season saw a few cool spring mornings but nothing to be too concerned about. A hot week in December was timed just right for Sauvignon Blanc flowering and resulted in a good set with this variety. The summer was generally dry and a couple of light rain just before harvest settled the dust and freshened up the vines – doing more good than harm. Despite the dry season bunch weights kept climbing right up until harvest resulting in a plentiful crop. We had to make the difficult decision to leave some fruit on the vines as we had more than enough and knew we were going to fill up the winery.

The Sauvignon harvest happened over 3 distinct phases – early, middle and late picks & we picked at a leisurely pace over 24 days – our longest harvest window in the last 10 years. The spread of harvest has directly resulted in a spread of aromas and flavours which gives us plenty of options when it comes to blending.

The fruit was machine harvested at night or in the cool of the morning and immediately crushed and pressed. The juice was then fermented with a variety of aromatic yeast strains in stainless steel tanks - the sole aim being to reflect and preserve the flavours and aromas grown in the vineyard. A small portion of the juice was fermented with a non-saccharomyces yeast and 2% was barrel fermented. After fermentation, the wine was kept in contact with the lees for three months. This classic technique enhances creaminess and integrates flavours.

Food Pairing: Crunchy Fish Tacos with zesty yoghurt, lime & chive sauce.