Te Kairanga Estate Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc 2025

Description

Dry, Lemon, Oak

"It's beautifully scented on the nose, with aromas of Granny Smith apple, lemongrass, green rockmelon, and lemon peel. The palate delivers terrific fruit purity and intensity, splendidly supported by saline texture and bright acidity, finishing long and mouth-watering. At its best: now to 2028" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Jul 2025

Fragrant aromas of blackcurrant leaf, tomato stalk, crushed pea pod, and tropical fruits. The palate is vibrant and precise, bursting with fresh, crunchy fruit and herbal notes. A flowing texture leads to a lingering finish of juicy fruit and subtle saline tones.

Established in 1984, Te Kairanga is an important part of the Martinborough wine story. Our home vineyards are planted on land that was originally owned by the founding father of Martinborough, John Martin. While our land is steeped in history, our winemaking is very much focused on the future.

With four vineyard sites in the Martinborough appellation, our winemaking team have a wide array of aromatics, flavours, textures and styles to work with. The Martinborough Terrace, one of New Zealand’s most coveted winegrowing sub-regions, is home to our Home and McLeod Vineyards. Once a riverbed, it features deep ancient gravel and alluvial soils. At slightly higher elevations with more extreme conditions are our Spring Rock and Rua vineyards. Our vineyards are sustainably farmed.

The 2025 season began early with warm spring weather, promoting strong canopy growth and excellent flowering, resulting in high crop levels across all varieties. Te Kairanga’s vineyards avoided damage from multiple spring frost events. Cool, wet weather from mid-December to late January slowed the season, but conditions improved from veraison to harvest, with heavy rain mostly avoided and ripening  progressing well. Harvest started early, continuing a five-year trend, and spanned a steady 6.5 weeks. While disease and weather pressures complicated picking decisions, most fruit was harvested at full ripeness.

Under the direction of Chief Winemaker, John Kavanagh, our winemaking philosophy places a premium on the character of each vineyard. Made from parcels from our cooler fragrant Rua vineyard and riper Home Vineyard, the fruit was gently pressed on arrival and fermented in stainless steel to maintain a clean, fresh flavour. A small portion was fermented in old French oak to add extra texture and  complexity to the wine. The wine was racked, blended, and stabilised gently.

Food Pairing: with Chirashi-zushi salad and pan seared scallops.