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Sauvignon Blanc 2019

The tasting notes

Sauvignon Blanc - Click to purchase

Domain Road has two vineyards in the heart of the historic gold mining area of Bannockburn.  Domain Road Vineyard covers most of the north-facing valley on the upper terraces above the Kawarau River with Defiance Vineyard on a gently sloping, north facing site on Felton Road.

Our Sauvignon Blanc vines are planted in three locations, on the top of Templers Hill, an area left untouched by 19th century gold miners, on Doctors Flat where mining has exposed mineral-rich clays from a 8-15 million year old lake bed and on a corner of Defiance with clay based soils. 

The wine 

The grapes were hand harvested between 2nd and 12th April 2019 from Domain Road and Defiance vineyards. A portion of the fruit was whole bunch pressed and the rest was de-stemmed and crush to press.  The resulting juice was cold settled for two days before racking and inoculating with selected yeast. Eighty-one% of the juice was stainless steel tank fermented with the balance of 19% undergoing barrel fermentation in French oak barriques (one new barrel).  The barrel portion was lees stirred weekly to help give the wine volume, roundness and complexity.

The colour of pale straw, our Sauvignon Blanc is dry in style, complex and mouth filling.  Very aromatic with tropical melon, apricot, nectarine, honeysuckle, ripe gooseberry and elderflower on the nose.  Rich and concentrated on the palate, with flavours of pineapple, stonefruit and grapefruit.  Finely textured, with a refreshing acidity and an appealing length.   

Enjoy with seafood, white meats, salad dishes, or as an aperitif.

Download wine notes here

Variety 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Appellation Central Otago
Sub Region Bannockburn
Vineyards Domain Road and Defiance
Harvest Date  2nd - 12th April 2019 
Alcohol 13.0%
Residual Sugar 3.4g/L
pH 2.96
TA 7.16g/L

The Awards

Yvonne Lorkin -  Wine Reviews.  "Get ready and steady yourself for lime, lemon, elderflower, stone fruit, frisky florals and rain on hot-rock minerality -plus as soon as you sip you'll feel the acid in your nose hairs and an awakening in your nether  Plus when you experience trauma it's good to know that a glass of this soft, lemongrass  passionfruity perfection awaits. It'll sooth, refresh and distract you ...."   

Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Wine Reviews 93pts "The nose is soft and fresh...the palate mouthwatering ...an elegant Sauvignon Blanc with restrained fruit portion, nettle and lemongrass; exemplary acid tension on a fine dry finish"

Winestate - "Bright, light lemon/green with a ripely herbaceous bouquet, it is mouth filling, with vigorous trop[ical fruit and herbaceous flavours, showing good freshness and complexity".