150 Church Road,
Taradale,
Hawke's Bay
New Zealand
Ph: +64 6 844 2053
Fax: +64 6 844 3378
info@churchroad.co.nz
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This serious Sauvignon Blanc is quite unlike most others made in New Zealand, and more in common with the savoury textural white wines of Bordeaux.
Hand harvested and whole bunch pressed, the fruit was a selection of the very best available from the vintage. Barrel fermentation, including a small percentage of new oak and subsequent barrel age on full yeast lees for 11 months, has created a superbly complex and full bodied wine that is ideally suited to enjoy with food.
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Release Date: June 2005
Grape Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Ngatarawa Triangle, Hawke's Bay
Closure: Cork
A full bodied and textural white wine with low acidity and great length of ripe fruit flavour. This is a wine for those who appreciate complexity and texture.
Colour: Pale yellow/green.
Aromas: Fully ripe Hawke's Bay Sauvignon has none of the intense herbaceous aromas of Marlborough wines, but provides a core of subtle, ripe fruit which works well with more complex winemaking derived characters. Cloudy juice fermentation has added mealy and mineral complexity, while savoury, nutty aromatics come from barrel fermentation and extended aging on the yeast lees.
Palate: The palate is dry and very full bodied for a Sauvignon Blanc, with low acid and great textural length. The fruit flavours on the finish of the wine become more intense than the aroma, with clover honey and ripe pungent fruit persisting in the mouth.
This wine will reward medium term cellaring for up to four years. With age the wine will develop more hazelnut and mineral complexity, while the fruit that is evident on the finish of the wine may become more pungent on both the nose and palate. Cellar carefully for up to four years.
Vineyard Manager: Neil Watson
The grapes were hand harvested based on flavour development. Regular tasting of the fruit was conducted, and the fruit picked when the flavours were honeyed and tropical.
Brix at harvest: 24.5°
Winemakers: Chris Scott
The grapes were very gently whole bunch pressed. The juice was briefly settled and then fermented in predominantly older French barriques. The wine remained on yeast lees for approximately 11 months with regular stirring to add palate richness and complexity of flavour.
Over recent years, the Church Road winemaking team have continued to develop a style of increased complexity across our wines. An almost French influence is emerging which places greater emphasis on complexity and texture rather than relying simply on fruit and oak for their appeal.
Alcohol: 14.5% by volume
pH: 3.3
Total acidity: 6.1 g/L as tartaric
* currently available vintage(s)
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