Full screwcapped bottle 1,250 g. Fruit was sourced from various vineyard sites in the Southern Valleys and the central Wairau Plains. Some vineyards were harvested by machine during cool (often cold) night-time conditions and others by hand during the day. Juice was cold-settled prior to racking into French oak barriques, a small percentage of which were new. The juice was allowed to undergo spontaneous indigenous-yeast fermentation, the tail end of which continued for well over six months. The wine had occasional lees stirring and approximately two-thirds underwent malolactic fermentation. It was transferred out of oak prior to the following harvest and left on yeast lees for a further six months. pH 3.2, TA 6.2 g/l. Certified Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand. Openly aromatic with both classic Sauvignon Blanc fruit – grassy and herbal with a hint of cassis leaf – but also a creamy/mealy impression allied to a stony note. Unusual combination of creamy and mineral with the merest hint of oak spice. Lovely texture from the lees and the oak, gently chewy, rich, still very youthful and fresh and with a salty aftertaste. This is a wine that you can enjoy now but which ages very well. 17.5 points