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Symposium Non-vintage (Bottled 2022)

The tasting notes

Symposium - 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 a small valley on the upper terraces above the Kawarau River with Defiance Vineyard on a gently sloping north facing site on Felton Road.  The unique terroir with unusual soils and distinctive micro-climate make this old gold mining area ideal for producing premium cool climate wines. 

The Sauvignon Blanc vines used for our late harvest wine are planted on Templars Hill, part of the Domain Road Vineyard, an area untouched by the 19th Century gold miners. This site was chosen for its unique position on the top of a hill allowing the grapes to over ripen without disease pressure.

The Wine 

The grapes were hand harvested on 1st June 2022 from Domain Road Vineyard.  The fruit was foot crushed in bins and allowed to soak overnight before pressing.  The resulting pressed juice was cold settled before racking and inoculation with selected yeast.  The juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks and older oak barrels and stopped to match the abundant fruit sweetness with the crisp acidity.  One barrel of 2021 Symposium kept in barrel for a year (this fruit had been harvested on June 21st 2021) was blended with the 2022 wine. The final blend was 25% 2021 and 75% 2022 Symposium all of which was oak aged.

Golden lemon with clear hues in colour our Symposium is complex and mouth filling. Fragrant aromas of stone fruit, grapefruit, sweet honey and white flowers are evident on the nose. The palate is sweet and rich on entry followed by brioche, biscuits, pear, honey, apricot and citrus notes.  A lovely juicy acidity balances the rich sweetness leading to a long toasty caramel and red apple finish.

Food match: soft cheese selections, blue cheese and gingerbread, or pour over ice as an aperitif!  Also drizzled over ice cream with fresh strawberries on the side. 

"A perfectly punchy, tooth-screamingly sweet desert wine.  If the gorgeousness of the bottle doesn't woo you, what's inside will wow you.  Bursting with lemon honey, candied green apple and soft passionfruit perkiness, this late harvest sauvignon is luscious, lithe and layered with poached pear characters." Yvonne Lorkin. New Zealand Herald. 

Download wine notes here

Variety  100% Sauvignon Blanc 
Appellation  Central Otago 
Sub Region Bannockburn
Vineyard Domain Road
Harvest Date June 1st 2022 & June 21st 2021.
Bottling Date  7th November 2022
Alcohol 10.5%
Residual sugar 150g/L
pH 3.41
TA 6.31g/L