Vintage

With good rainfall during the 2007 winter and sunny warm days during spring the sauvignon vines flourished: good strong growth and punctual bud burst in September. The hot weather followed through flowering providing beautifully full and well set bunches. Long hot summer days continued, Marlborough experienced hotter than average summer-temperatures and higher than average sunshine hours.

A clean well-balanced crop ripened a little earlier than average due to the great weather. The first block was harvested at optimum ripeness on 24th March 2008, followed only a little bit later by the other blocks.

Harvest Dates: 24 March – 2 April
Brix :23 – 23.8

Winemaking

The sauvignon blanc grapes were harvested at optimum physiological ripeness and fermented with an array of indigenous and cultured yeast to further enhance the flavours and structure of the grapes.

After fermentation the wines were blended back together, settled and integrated in tanks before bottling end of September.

Wine Analysis

Alcohol: 13.9 %; Acidity: 6; pH: 3.28; Sugar: < 1 g/l

Tasting note:

The Map Maker Sauvignon Blanc is rich and full, a lively vibrant and sophisticated example of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. The nose is lifted and exotic. The palate is crisp, clean with exotic fruit such as mango’s, pawpaw and passionfruit, finishing with an attractive minerality. The wine is well balanced with excellent weight and an elegant lingering finish.