Church Road Sauvignon Blanc 2003, Hawke's Bay

Home > Our Wines > Wine Ranges > Church Road >

Church Road

Sauvignon Blanc 2003

Awards & Reviews

For a change this wine was made last year mainly with Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc grapes, with a lesser proportion of Hawke's Bay grown Sauvignon. And not surprisingly, it is a very tropical fruit tasting whit with fresh acids stretching out to a lingering finish. About 40 percent of the wine was oak-fermented, which adds creaminess and texture rather than a discernible taste. It is silky, subtle and very food friendly.

Joelle Thomson - Wine New Zealand (30 Nov 2004)

This is a blend of predominantly Marlborough fruit with a little from Hawke's Bay. It has an open nose of Marlborough passionfruit and cape gooseberry aromas, and those follow through on the palate flavours. A proportion of the wine has been fermented in old oak barrels, imparting a nice yeasty texture to the palate.

Peter Shaw - Waikato Times (March 2004)

From Hawke's Bay with a powerful passionfruit bouquet, passionfruit and gooseberry flavours with a hint of guava and light oak. Very fruity, For now and the short term.

Graeme Barrow - Hawke's Bay Today (Jan 2004)

This distinctively different Sauvignon Blanc is a complex wine which is more refined and softer than a typical New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

Crafted from ripe Marlborough and Hawke's Bay grapes, this elegant, textured wine has a portion of barrel-fermented fruit, producing a Sauvignon which will reward further cellaring.

Winemaker's Notes

print-friendly version (requires Acrobat)

Release date: November 2003
Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Marlborough, Hawke's Bay

Description

This wine is a complex style of Sauvignon Blanc.

Colour: Light yellow/green.

Aromas: Lifted and fresh notes of guava, passionfruit and ripe melon notes with subtle barrel fermentation and yeast influences.

Palate: Elegant, ripe and lingering, with finely integrated mineral, savoury and subtle toasty complexities, resulting in a soft texture and balanced acidity.

Recommended Cellaring

This wine will reward careful cellaring for three to four years. A more complex and mealy style will develop over time.

Harvest

The grapes were harvested in late March 2003.

Brix at harvest: 22-23.5°

Winemaking

Winemaker: Chris Scott

Only free-run juice was used in this wine resulting in a soft and delicate juice structure for fermentation. The juice was then fermented with a range of different yeasts, each contributing their own unique characteristics.

The barrel-fermented components were allowed to remain on their yeast lees for several months after fermentation, to impart subtle savoury flavours, soften the palate and add complexity. Approximately 40% of this wine was fermented in predominantly older French barriques, adding another dimension to this Sauvignon Blanc.

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.

Analysis

Alcohol: 13.5% by volume
pH: 3.2
Total acidity: 6.8 g/L as tartaric

Vintages

1997-2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006*

* currently available vintage(s)

Top of page

Our Wines

Awards

Functions & Weddings

Winery Experience

How To Find Us

Contact Us

Church Road Winery