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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©2006
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.
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Release date: October 2004
Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Region: 65% Marlborough, 35% Hawke's Bay
This wine is a complex style of Sauvignon Blanc.
Colour: Light yellow/green.
Aromas: The Marlborough fruit brings passionfruit, redcurrant and elderflower aromas with underlying fresh herbaciousness. The Hawke's Bay component offers melon, stonefruit and lemongrass. This is overlaid with subtle mineral and savoury complexity.
Palate: A fuller bodied style of Sauvignon Blanc with good mid palate weight, relatively low acidity and a long textural finish. The flavours on the palate echo the aromatics. Complex, ripe and lingering.
Drink now for fresh and vibrant wine, or cellar for up to four years to develop pungency and complex mealiness.
The fruit was harvested in good condition at optimal ripeness.
Brix at harvest: 23.5-24°
Winemaker: Chris Scott
Only free-run juice was used in this wine resulting in a soft and delicate juice structure. Much of the juice was quite cloudy before fermentation. This gives more texture and complexity in the resultant wine.
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 50% 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.
Alcohol: 13.5% by volume
pH: 3.29
Total acidity: 6.8g/L as tartaric
1997-2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006*
* currently available vintage(s)
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