Esk Valley Sauvignon Blanc

Intro to Esk Valley Sauvignon Blanc –

Esk Valley Sauvignon Blanc is an aromatic wine with light zesty tropical dry fruit notes.

Full tasting note and wine making –

This a very aromatic and intensely flavoured wine true to its Marlborough origins. Its flavours are a mix of ripe tropical fruits, citrus and cooler notes of green fruits and fresh herbs. It is rich and full-flavoured with a crisp dry finish which provides freshness and length to the palate.

Vineyard sites in the warm Wairau Valley (69%) and further south in the cooler Awatere Valley were selected for this wine. The Wairau vineyards are planted on a mix of gravel and clay and provide structure and body to the blended wine. The Awatere Valley vineyards are planted on gravelly free drained soils and due to the cooler nature of these sites, pungent notes of nettle, gooseberry, citrus and pea pod are found in the finished wine. Yields are carefully managed with an extensive shoot and crop thinning undertaken to maximise quality.

The individual parcels were harvested and transported to the winery for immediate crushing to capture the freshness of the fruit. Fermentation was conducted at cool temperatures utilising selected yeast strains. Post-fermentation the wines were left on their yeast lees to gain further richness and body before blending and bottling in August 2019.

The producer –

The Esk Valley Estate sources grapes from both its own vineyards and from contract growers. Traditional methods allied with modern technology enable the winemakers to make wines with texture and complexity. Gordon Russell the chief winemaker, is a traditional winemaker and so small batch wine-making prevails, and the 80-year-old open topped concrete fermenters are still used for the production of the hand-made red wines. Chardonnays are barrel fermented and red wines are barrel aged for a minimum of one year with the ‘Winemakers Reserve’ styles spending at least 18 months in French oak barriques.

Drink with –

Great with grilled and Roasted White Meats, fish and sellfish, mild creamy cheeses, mature strong cheeses, oriental & spicy foods.