Vineyard Notes

The grapes for this wine are from our certified-organic Woolshed vineyard on Loveblock Farm, in the Lower Dashwood sub-region of Marborough’s Awatere Valley. The soil type is predominately aged alluvial loams containing some silt loam over stone. Dependent on vigour, the vines are pruned to two, three or four canes and trained in a normal vertical shoot position. Ideal flowering conditions, followed by a warm dry summer, meant that the grapes were picked in perfect condition. As vine vigour determines the crop load, the yield was an average of 9 tonnes per hectare. Harvest occurred in early April. No sulphur or ascorbic acid were used in the vineyard as per organic winemaking practices.

Vinification

Harvested in the cool Marlborough mornings (35 percent by hand and 65 percent by machine), the fruit for this wine was batch produced in small amounts with soil variation within the vineyard determining the batch size. The handpicked portion was fermented separately in alternate vessels – a concrete egg, two amphorae and neutral old French oak barrels – on wild yeast. The concrete egg and amphorae portions were pressed and settled for a few hours, then racked to vessel where primary and secondary fermentation occurred spontaneously. The barrel portion went straight from press to barrel where it fermented on wild yeast and underwent malolactic fermentation. The machine harvested portion went straight to stainless tanks from press where 25 percent underwent full malolactic fermentation to reduce acidity. Post fermentation, only the best parcels were selected for the final Loveblock blend.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Pale straw with a hint of green and gold.

Aroma: Complex and elegant Sauvignon Blanc bouquet, with pineapple, guava and sweet meadow grass aromas.

Palate: Rounded and textured, with pineapple, tropical fruit and a sweet basil edge followed by ripe peach on the back palate. A chalky minerality and complexity complements the fruit.

Food match: Oysters, seafood, pasta and chicken.

Organic status: Certified organic – BioGro #5266.

Vegan status: Vegan friendly

Cellar: Drink now and through 2025.

Awards

Bob Campbell MW: 4 Stars / Top Rank / Top Value NZ

Cameron Douglas MS: 94 Points

Vineyard Notes

The grapes are sourced from our family-owned estate vineyards in Marlborough’s Lower Dashwood and Lower Waihopai sub-regions. The soil type is predominately aged alluvial loams containing some silt loam over stone. Dependent on vigour, the vines are pruned to two, three or four canes and trained in a normal vertical shoot position. Ideal flowering conditions, followed by a warm dry summer meant that the grapes were picked in perfect condition. As vine vigour determines the crop load, the yield was an average of 4 tonnes per acre. Harvest occurred in the month of April.

Vinification

Harvested in the cool Marlborough mornings (10 percent by hand and 90 percent by machine), the fruit for this wine was batch produced in small amounts, with soil variation within the vineyard determining the batch size. The batches were fermented separately until dry and a small portion of the juice was barrel fermented in neutral old French oak barrels (approximately 10% went through natural fermentation and 30% through malolactic fermentation in tank). Post fermentation, only the best batches were selected for the final Loveblock blend.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Water white with a hint of green and gold.

Aroma: Lifted aromatics of canned peaches, pineapple, fresh herbs, honeysuckle and elderflower.

Palate: The palate bursts with white peach, cantaloupe, Cape gooseberry and green apple underscored by green tea and a ripe herbal backbone. Long citrus and mineral finish, with linear acidity balanced by creamy mouthfeel.

Food match: Oysters, seafood, spaghetti alle vongole and chicken.

Sustainable status: Sustainably grown – SWNZ accredited.

Vegan status: Vegan friendly

Cellar: Up to 10 years.

Awards

Wine Spectator: 91 Points

Wine Enthusiast: 91 Points

Vineyard Notes

The grapes for this wine are from our certified-organic Woolshed vineyard on Loveblock Farm, in the Lower Dashwood sub-region of Marborough’s Awatere Valley. The soil type is predominately aged alluvial loams containing some silt loam over stone. Dependent on vigour, the vines are pruned to two, three or four canes and trained in a normal vertical shoot position. Ideal flowering conditions, followed by a warm dry summer, meant that the grapes were picked in perfect condition. As vine vigour determines the crop load, the yield was an average of 9 tonnes per hectare. Harvest occurred in the month of March. No sulphur or ascorbic acid were used in the vineyard as per organic winemaking practices.

Vinification

Harvested in the cool Marlborough mornings (25 percent by hand and 75 percent by machine), the fruit for this wine was batch produced in small amounts, with soil variation within the vineyard determining the batch size. The handpicked portion was barrel-fermented separately with natural wild yeasts until dry in neutral old French oak barrels filled straight from the press, malolactic fermentation then occurred. In addition, 20 percent of the tanks underwent full malolactic fermentation to reduce acidity. Post fermentation, only the best parcels were selected for the final Loveblock blend.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Pale straw with a hint of green and gold.

Aroma: Complex and elegant Sauvignon Blanc bouquet, with pineapple, guava and sweet meadow grass aromas.

Palate: Rounded and textured, with pineapple, tropical fruit and a sweet basil edge followed by ripe peach on the back palate. A chalky minerality and complexity complements the fruit.

Food match: Oysters, seafood, pasta and chicken.

Organic status: Certified organic – BioGro #5266.

Vegan status: Vegan friendly

Cellar: Drink now and through 2022.

Awards

Bob Campbell MW: 4 Stars / Top Rank

Cameron Douglas MS: 94 Points

NZ Organic Wine Awards: Silver 

Winestate Recent Releases Tasting May/June 2020: 4 Stars

Vineyard Notes

The grapes are sourced from our family-owned estate vineyards in Marlborough’s Lower Dashwood and Lower Waihopai sub-regions. The soil type is predominately aged alluvial loams containing some silt loam over stone. Dependent on vigour, the vines are pruned to two, three or four canes and trained in a normal vertical shoot position. Ideal flowering conditions, followed by a warm dry summer meant that the grapes were picked in perfect condition. As vine vigour determines the crop load, the yield was an average of 4 tonnes per acre. Harvest occurred in the month of April.

Vinification

Harvested in the cool Marlborough mornings (25 percent by hand and 75 percent by machine), the fruit for this wine was batch produced in small amounts, with soil variation within the vineyard determining the batch size. The batches were fermented separately until dry and a small portion of the juice was barrel fermented in neutral old French oak barrels (approximately 10% went through natural fermentation and 20% through malolactic fermentation in tank). Post fermentation, only the best batches were selected for the final Loveblock blend.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Water white with a hint of green and gold.

Aroma: Lifted aromatics of canned peaches, pineapple, fresh herbs, honeysuckle and elderflower.

Palate: The palate bursts with white peach, cantaloupe, Cape gooseberry and green apple underscored by green tea and a ripe herbal backbone. Long citrus and mineral finish, with linear acidity balanced by creamy mouthfeel.

Food match: Oysters, seafood, spaghetti alle vongole and chicken.

Sustainable status: Certified sustainable – Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand.

Vegan status: Vegan friendly

Cellar: Up to 10 years.

Awards

Wine Spectator: 90 Points

Wine Enthusiast: 88 Points

Vineyard Notes

The grapes for this wine are sourced from our Woolshed vineyard on Loveblock Farm, in the Lower Dashwood sub-region of Marborough’s Awatere Valley. The soil type is predominately aged alluvial loams containing some silt loam over stone. Dependent on vigour, the vines are pruned to two, three or four canes and trained in a normal vertical shoot position. Ideal flowering conditions, followed by a warm dry summer, meant that the grapes were picked in perfect condition. As vine vigour determines the crop load, the yield was an average of 9.5 tonnes per hectare. Harvest occurred in the month of March. No sulphur or ascorbic acid were used in the vineyard.

Vinification

Harvested in the cool Marlborough mornings (30 percent by hand and 70 percent by machine), the fruit for this wine was batch produced in small amounts, with soil variation within the vineyard determining the batch size. The batches were fermented separately with natural yeasts until dry and a small portion of the juice was barrel fermented in neutral old French oak barrels filled straight from the press, malolactic fermentation then occurred. In addition, a quarter of the tanks underwent full malolactic fermentation to reduce acidity. Post fermentation, only the best parcels were selected for the final Loveblock blend.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Pale straw with a hint of green and gold.

Aroma: Complex and elegant Sauvignon Blanc bouquet, with pineapple, guava and sweet meadow grass aromas.

Palate: Rounded and textured, with pineapple, tropical fruit and a sweet basil edge followed by ripe peach on the back palate. A chalky minerality and complexity complements the fruit.

Food match: Oysters, seafood, pasta and chicken.

Organic status: Certified organic – BioGro #5266.

Sustainable status: Certified sustainable – Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand.

Vegan status: Vegan friendly

Cellar: Drink now and through 2022.

Awards

The Shout/Cameron Douglas MS: Feb 2019 – 95 Points

Sam Kim, Wine Orbit: 5 Stars

Bob Campbell MW: 4 Stars / Top Ranked

Vineyard Notes

The grapes are sourced from our family-owned estate vineyards in Marlborough’s Lower Dashwood and Lower Waihopai sub-regions. The soil type is predominately aged alluvial loams containing some silt loam over stone. Dependent on vigour, the vines are pruned to two, three or four canes and trained in a normal vertical shoot position. Ideal flowering conditions, followed by a warm dry summer meant that the grapes were picked in perfect condition. As vine vigour determines the crop load, the yield was an average of 3 tonnes per acre. Harvest occurred in the month of April.

Vinification

Machine-harvested in the cool Marlborough mornings, the fruit for this wine was batch produced in small amounts, with soil variation within the vineyard determining the batch size. The batches were fermented separately until dry and a small portion of the juice was barrel fermented in neutral old French oak barrels and malolactic fermentation occurred. In addition, a quarter of the tanks underwent full malolactic fermentation to reduce acidity. Post fermentation, only the best batches were selected for the final Loveblock blend.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Water white with a hint of green and gold.

Aroma: Lifted aromatics of canned peaches, pineapple, nettle, fresh herbs and elderflower.

Palate: The palate bursts with white peach, cantaloupe, Cape gooseberry and green apple underscored by green tea and a ripe herbal backbone. Long citrus and mineral finish, with linear acidity balanced by creamy mouthfeel.

Food match: Oysters, seafood, pasta and chicken.

Sustainable status: Certified sustainable – Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand.

Vegan status: Vegan friendly

Cellar: Five to seven years.

Awards

Wine Spectator: 90 Points

Wine Enthusiast: 90 Points

CRU: 92 Points

Vineyard Notes

The grapes for this wine are sourced from our Woolshed vineyard on Loveblock Farm, in the Lower Dashwood sub-region of Marborough’s Awatere Valley. The soil type is predominately aged alluvial loams containing some silt loam over stone. Dependent on vigour, the vines are pruned to two, three or four canes and trained in a normal vertical shoot position. Ideal flowering conditions, followed by a warm dry summer, meant that the grapes were picked in perfect condition. As vine vigour determines the crop load, the yield was an average of 3 tonnes per acre. Harvest occurred in the month of April. The vineyard is certified organic with BioGro NZ (#5266).

Vinification

Machine-harvested in the cool Marlborough mornings, the fruit for this wine was batch produced in small amounts, with soil variation within the vineyard determining the batch size. The batches were fermented separately until dry and a small portion of the juice was barrel fermented neutral old French oak barrels and malolactic fermentation occurred. In addition, a quarter of the tanks underwent full malolactic fermentation to reduce acidity. Post fermentation, only the best parcels were selected for the final Loveblock blend.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Water white with a hint of green and gold.

Aroma: Lifted aromatics of canned peaches, pineapple and elderflower.

Palate: Rockmelon, Cape gooseberry and crushed sweet meadow grass. Distinctly Sauvignon Blanc finish, with linear acidity balanced by creamy mouthfeel.

Food match: Oysters, seafood, pasta and chicken.

Organic status: Certified organic – BioGro #5266.

Sustainable status: Certified sustainable – Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand.

Vegan status: Vegan friendly

Cellar: Five to seven years.

Awards

Sam Kim, Wine Orbit: 5 Stars

Raymond Chan: 4 Stars

The Shout/Cameron Douglas MS: Feb 2018 – 90 Points

Bob Campbell: Bronze (3 Stars)

Winestate: 40^th Anniversary Edition May/June 2018 – 3 Stars

2018 NZ Organic Wine Awards: Bronze

Vineyard Notes

The grapes are sourced from our family-owned estate vineyards in Marlborough’s lower Awatere and Waihopai valleys. The soil type is predominately aged alluvial loams containing some silt loam over stone. Dependent on vigour, the vines are pruned to two, three or four canes and trained in a normal vertical shoot position. Ideal flowering conditions, followed by a warm dry summer, meant that the grapes were picked in perfect condition. As vine vigour determines the crop load, the yield was an average of 3 tonnes per acre. Harvest occurred in the month of April.

Vinification

Machine-harvested in the cool Marlborough mornings, the fruit for this wine was batch produced in small amounts, with soil variation within the vineyard determining the batch size. The batches were fermented separately until dry and a small portion of the juice was barrel fermented neutral old French oak barrels and malolactic fermentation occurred. In addition, a quarter of the tanks underwent full malolactic fermentation to reduce acidity. Post fermentation, only the best batches were selected for the final Loveblock blend.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Water white with a hint of green and gold.

Aroma: Lifted aromatics of canned peaches, pineapple and elderflower.

Palate: Cantaloupe, Cape gooseberry and crushed sweet meadow grass. Distinctly Sauvignon Blanc finish, with linear acidity balanced by creamy mouthfeel.

Food match: Oysters, seafood, pasta and chicken.

Organic status: 90% BioGro-certified organic grapes.

Sustainable status: Certified sustainable – Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand.

Vegan status: Vegan friendly

Cellar: Five to seven years.

Awards

Wine Enthusiast: 92 Points

The Tasting Panel: 92 Points

Gismondi on Wine: 90 Points

Wine Spectator: 89 Points

Vineyard Notes

The grapes for this wine are from our Loveblock Farm in Marlborough’s lower Dashwood sub-region in the Awatere Valley. The soil type is predominately aged alluvial loams containing some silt loam over stone. Dependent on vigour, the vines were predominantly pruned to three canes and trained in a normal vertical shoot position. Ideal flowering conditions followed by a warm dry summer meant the grapes were picked in prime condition. As vine vigour determines crop load, the yield was an average of eight tonnes per hectare. In 2016, harvest occurred in mid-April. The vineyard is certified organic with BioGro NZ (#5266).

Vinification

Machine-harvested in the cool Marlborough mornings (with no field additions), the fruit for this wine was batch produced in small amounts with soil variation within the vineyard determining the batch size. The batches were fermented separately until dry. Post fermentation, only the best batches were selected and the wine was made following organic winemaking procedures. Approximately seven percent was aged in neutral French oak barrels for six months and this portion also underwent secondary malolactic fermentation.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Pale straw with a hint of green.

Aroma: Lifted aromatics with pineapple, passionfruit and intense citrus blossom.

Palate: Elegant palate with white peach, underscored with tropical fruits and linear acidity. It has a creamy mouthfeel and texture due to Loveblock’s organic winegrowing practices.

Food match: Sashimi, oysters, soft-shell crab, lemongrass-based dishes, new season asparagus, salads and Asian cuisine.

Organic status: Certified organic – BioGro #5266.

Sustainable status: Certified sustainable – Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand.

Vegan status: Vegan friendly

Cellar: Five to seven years.

Awards

2017 NZ Organic Wine Awards: Gold

Winestate Wine of the Year Special Edition 2017: 4 Stars

Cuisine Tasting #186: 3 Stars

Bob Campbell: 90 Points

Cameron Douglas: 92 Points

Sam Kim, Wine Orbit: 5 Stars

Raymond Chan: 4 Stars

New Zealand Listener: 4 Stars

Winestate Nov 2016: 4 Stars

Vineyard Notes

The grapes are sourced from our estate vineyards in both the lower Awatere Valley and lower Waihopai Valley in Marlborough. The soil type is predominately aged alluvial loams containing some clay over stone. Dependent on vigour the vines were pruned to two, three or four canes and trained in a normal vertical shoot position. Ideal flowering conditions followed by a warm, dry summer meant that the grapes were picked in perfect condition. As the vine vigour determines crop load, the yield was an average of three tonnes per acre. Harvest occurred throughout the month of April.

Vinification

All of our estate fruit is batch produced in small amounts and vineyard variability determines the size of the batch. Machine-harvested in the cool Marlborough mornings, the batches were fermented separately until dry and a small portion of the juice was barrel fermented and partial malolactic fermentation occurred. Post fermentation, the best batches were selected for the Loveblock blend. To add complexity to the wine, very small volumes of Muscat, Chenin Blanc and Pinot Gris were added.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Water white with a hint of green and gold.

Aroma: Lifted aromatics with white peach, passionfruit and citrus notes.

Palate: White peach and tropical fruits abound. The lingering finish is underscored with mineral acidity.

Food match: Sashimi, oysters, soft-shell crab, lemongrass-based dishes and new season asparagus.

Serve at: 45-50°F (7-10°C).

Sustainable status: Certified sustainable – Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand.

Cellar: Five to seven years.

Awards

Wine Spectator: 90 Points

Wine Enthusiast: 90 Points

2017 TEXSOM International Wine Awards: Silver

2017 San Francisco International Wine Competition: Bronze

2016 IWSC International Wine & Spirits Competition: Bronze

2016 Winestate Marlborough Tasting: 3.5 Stars

Vineyard Notes

The grapes are sourced from estate vineyards in Marlborough, two in the lower Awatere Valley and one at the base of the Waihopai Valley. The soil type is predominately aged alluvial loams containing some clay over stone. Dependent on vigour, the vines were pruned to two, three or four canes and trained in a normal vertical shoot position. Ideal flowering conditions, followed by a warm, dry summer, meant that the grapes were picked in perfect condition. As vine vigour determines crop load, the yield was an average of three tonnes per acre. Harvest occurred in early April.

Vinification

All of our estate fruit is batch produced in small amounts and vineyard variability determines the size of the batch. Machine-harvested in the cool Marlborough mornings, the batches were fermented separately until dry and a small portion of the juice went through partial malolactic fermentation. Post fermentation, the best batches were selected for the Loveblock blend. To add complexity to the wine, very small volumes of Arneis, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer were blended in to the admissible blending proportions.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Water white with a hint of green and gold.

Aroma: Lifted aromatics with white peach, passionfruit and citrus notes.

Palate: White peach and tropical fruits abound. The lingering finish is underscored with mineral acidity.

Food match: Sashimi, oysters, soft-shell crab, lemongrass-based dishes and new season asparagus.

Serve at: 45-50°F (7-10°C).

Cellar: Five to seven years.

Awards

Wine Spectator: 90 Points

Vineyard Notes

The grapes are sourced from estate vineyards in Marlborough, two in the lower Awatere Valley and one at the base of the Waihopai Valley. The soil type is predominately aged alluvial loams containing some clay over stone. Dependent on vigour, the vines were pruned to two, three or four canes and trained in a normal vertical shoot position. Ideal flowering conditions followed by a warm, dry summer, meant that the grapes were picked in perfect condition. As vine vigour determines crop load, the yield was an average of three tonnes per acre. Harvest occurred in the first week of April.

Vinification

All of our estate fruit is batch produced in small amounts, vineyard variability determines the size of the batch. Machine-harvested in the cool Marlborough mornings, the batches were fermented separately till dry. Post fermentation, the best batches were selected for the Loveblock blend.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Water white with a hint of green and gold.

Aroma: Lifted aromatics with white peach, passionfruit and citrus notes.

Palate: Explosive palate with white peach, underscored with tropical fruits and linear acidity.

Food match: Sashimi, oysters, soft-shell crab, lemongrass-based dishes and new season asparagus.

Serve at: 45-50°F (7-10°C).

Cellar: Five to seven years.

Awards

Wine Enthusiast: 90 Points

Vineyard Notes

The grapes for this wine are from our Loveblock Farm in Marlborough’s Lower Dashwood sub-region in the Awatere Valley. The soil type is predominately aged alluvial loams containing some clay over stone.  Dependent on vigour, the vines were pruned to two, three or four canes and trained in a normal vertical shoot position. Ideal flowering conditions followed by a warm, dry summer, meant that the grapes were picked in tip-top condition. As vine vigour determines crop load, the yield was an average of seven tonnes per hectare. Harvest occurred in the first two weeks of April. The vineyard is certified organic with BioGro NZ (#5266).

Vinification

Machine-harvested in the cool Marlborough mornings, the fruit for this wine was batch produced in small amounts with soil variation within the vineyard determining the batch size. The batches were fermented separately until dry. Post fermentation, the best batches were selected and the wine made following organic winemaking procedures.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Pale straw with a hint of green.

Aroma: Lifted aromatics with white peach, passion fruit and citrus notes.

Palate: Elegant palate with white peach, underscored with tropical fruits and linear acidity. It has a creamy mouthfeel and texture due to low intervention farming.

Food match: Sashimi, oysters, soft-shell crab, lemongrass-based dishes and new season asparagus.

Organic status: Certified organic – BioGro #5266.

Cellar: Five to seven years.

Awards

2016 New Zealand Aromatic Wine Competition: Silver

2016 NZ Organic Wine Awards: Bronze

2016 New World Wine Awards: Bronze

Bob Campbell: 92 Points

Vineyard Notes

The grapes are sourced from estate vineyards in Marlborough, two in the lower Awatere Valley and one at the base of the Waihopai Valley. The soil type is predominately aged alluvial loams containing some clay over stone. Dependent on vigour, the vines were pruned to two, three or four canes and trained in a normal vertical shoot position. Ideal flowering conditions followed by a warm, dry summer meant the grapes were picked in perfect condition. As vine vigour determines crop load, the yield was an average of three tonnes per acre. Harvest occurred in the first week of April, a month earlier than the previous year.

Vinification

All of our estate fruit is batch produced in small amounts, vineyard variability determines the size of the batch. Machine-harvested in the cool Marlborough mornings, the batches were fermented separately till dry. Post fermentation, the best batches were selected for the Loveblock blend.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Water white with a hint of green and gold.

Aroma: Lifted aromatics with white peach, passionfruit and citrus notes.

Palate: Explosive palate with white peach, underscored with tropical fruits and linear acidity.

Food match: Sashimi, oysters, soft-shell crab, lemongrass-based dishes and new season asparagus.

Serve at: 45-50°F (7-10°C).

Cellar: Five to seven years.

Awards

Wine Enthusiast: 90 Points

Vineyard Notes

The grapes for this wine are from our Loveblock Farm in Marlborough’s Lower Dashwood sub-region in the Awatere Valley. The soil type is predominately aged alluvial loams containing some silt loam over stone. Dependent on vigour, the vines were pruned to two, three or four canes and trained in a normal vertical shoot position. The grapes were harvested in tip-top condition thanks to the ideal combination of a warm and dry summer and favourable flowering conditions. As the vine vigour determines crop load, the yield was an average of seven tonnes per hectare. Harvest occurred in the first week of April, a month earlier than the previous year. The vineyard is certified organic with BioGro NZ (#5266).

Vinification

Machine-harvested in the cool Marlborough mornings (without field additions), the fruit for this wine was batch produced in small amounts with soil variation within the vineyard determining the batch size. The batches were fermented separately until dry. Post fermentation, the best batches were selected and the wine made following organic winemaking procedures.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Pale straw with a hint of green.

Aroma: Lifted aromatics with white peach, passionfruit, citrus notes and hints of fresh herbs.

Palate: Elegant palate with prickly pear, white peach and honey underscored by tropical fruits and linear acidity. Tinged with the bright, sweet notes of crushed meadow grass, the wine has creamy mouthfeel and texture from Loveblock’s low intervention farming practices.

Food match: Sashimi, oysters and seafood, lemongrass-based dishes and new season asparagus.

Organic status: Certified organic – BioGro #5266.

Cellar: 5 to 7 years.

Awards

2015 Cuisine Sauvignon Blanc Tasting: Recommended, 4 Stars

2015 Marlborough Wine Show: Bronze

2014 Inaugural Organic Wine Awards: Elite Gold

2014 Air New Zealand Wine Awards: Pure Bronze

Bob Campbell: 92 Points

Raymond Chan: 4 Stars

Cellar Tracker: 91 Points

The Wine Front: 86 Points

Vineyard Notes

The grapes come from our Loveblock Farm, an organically certified farm in the Lower Awatere sub-region of Marlborough. The soil type is predominantly aged alluvial loams containing some clay over stone. Depending on vigour, the vines were cane pruned to two, three or four canes and trained in a normal vertical shoot position. Flowering was very slow due to the cool spring. The late summer weather produced small bunches and berry size, resulting in intense varietal flavours for this vintage. The grapes were harvested very late (3rd and 4th May 2012) with a resulting yield of three tonnes per acre.

Vinification

The grapes were machine harvested on a cool Marlborough morning and were immediately transferred to the winery where they were destemmed and crushed before being transferred to the tank press. After four hours settling, the juice was inoculated with organic yeast. No preservative was added before fermentation and organic winemaking guidelines were strictly adhered to.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Water white with a hint of green and gold.

Aroma: Lifted aromatics with peach, fig and a hint of tomato leaf.

Palate: Explosive palate with white peach, underscored with subtle herbaceous notes and linear acidity.

Food match: Sashimi, lemongrass-based Asian dishes and new season asparagus.

Serve at: 45-50°F (7-10°C).

Cellar: Five to seven years.

Awards

Wine Spectator: 90 Points

Bob Campbell: 92 Points