Sauvignon Blanc 2019
Regular price
$56.00
Sale
From the heart of Marlborough but a world apart. Handcrafted in tiny quantities for an incomparable artisan Sauvignon/Semillon 'sur lie'. Untamed, with long skin contact for complexity and texture, 'wild' barrel fermentation without any additions and 20 months on the fine lees for its famous silkiness. Dry and explosively rich, the pinnacle of a stately Sauvignon Blanc.
Vintage 2019+
Another great growing season confirming Marlborough as one of the worlds best wine region. March came with high sunshine hours and dry weather, perfect for the lead up to the vintage. With our low crop philosophy and meticulously and extensive vineyard work, we handpicked grapes of incredible purity at full physiological ripeness from the 24 year old vines.
Hans' Winemaking Comments+
'Gently destemmed with partly whole berries. Long, cold maceration to extract the wonderful flavours from the skins. After gentle pressing, the wine embarked upon a natural wild yeast co-fermentation to express it’s unique terroir and sense of place in 500 litre French oak puncheons (20% new). The young wine was left on its pure lees, which was regularly stirred during the first three months, responsible for the exquisite silkiness, complexity and depth. After 20 month of maturation in the barrel, we bottled this nectar with no cold stabilization or fining and only light filtration to retain the beautiful aromas. Natural sediments may show but do not impact on the high quality of this natural wine.'
Tasting Note+
Reminiscent of a white Bordeaux with Sauvignon Blanc responsible for its intrinsic aromatics and acidity, and Semillon for its body and smooth texture. Explosively rich and completely dry with the elegance and refinement of a stately Sauvignon Blanc. Intense minerality from the gravelly soils to match the exotic fruit aromas. Ripe candied peel and peaches on the nose. The oak is successfully integrated in the creamy texture from the long lees contact (sure lie). Enormous length stimulates the palate and keeps the mouth watering throughout. Great purity, leaving a refreshing but weighted mouth with great vigour and persistence from start to finish.
Technical Data+
| Varieties | 85% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Semillon |
| Rootstock | Riparia Gloire |
| Vine Planted | 1996 (grafted 2004) |
| Soil | Shallow (<45 cm) stony soil, well drained, developed from stony alluvium. Not one row shows the same soil type. |
| Planting Density | 5,500 vines/ha |
| Yield | 2.5t/ha |
| Alcohol | 14% |
| Residual Sugar | <1g/L |
| Ageing Potential |
10 years if kept at constant temperature under 14 degree Celsius |
| Bottles Produced | 2,500 |
Food Matching Suggestions+
Beautiful with all seafood dishes and white meat.
Industry Reviews+
John Szabo MS (Wine Align) - 94 points
'The small, family-run estate of Hans Herzog produces a bewildering array of idiosyncratic wines from a long list of varieties known and unknown, and the estate's version of sauvignon is unsurprisingly a far cry from the Marlborough standard. It's already quite deep gold-coloured, and shows a distinctive, non-sauvignon profile, very low on fruit and dominated by dried hay, old wood, pine bark and other resinous notes, herbal tea, dried flowers and a myriad of other intriguing scents. The palate is full-bodied, fleshy and highly extracted - this is no 15 ton per hectare crop here, but rather ultra low-yielding, dense and concentrated juice, saturated with flavour. Buyers may be shocked at the price, but it's in a category of its own. The only misstep by the winery is to call this a Marlborough sauvignon; buyers of the mainstream commercial versions will be on totally unfamiliar ground. Fans of top quality whites, however, will want to try this. Drink or hold, who knows? A decade should not be a problem. Tasted May 2022.'