TASTING NOTE
Bright, lifted citrus aromatics of kaffir lime and grapefruit abound, supported by ripe nectarine-like notes. An elegant, concentrated palate reveals juicy stone fruit and lemongrass, supported by a lovely minerality. Its crisp acidity leads to a mouth-watering and persistent finish, suggesting a sauvignon blanc with ageability.

THE VINEYARD
Grapes for Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc are sourced from estate and grower vineyards located in the Rapaura, Fairhall, Renwick and Brancott sub-regions of the Wairau Valley. Soils range from free-draining and stony on the valley floor, to aged alluvial loams containing some clay. The majority of fruit is grown on a vertical-shoot-positioned trellis, with a small number of blocks on Scott-Henry.

THE SEASON
The 2017 growing season began with ideal spring conditions; warm temperatures and few frost events encouraged good canopy growth. Settled weather over flowering led to high potential crops, fruit thinning was widely employed to reduce yield and achieve optimum vine balance. Fastidious canopy management throughout the mild and sunny growing season ensured fruit developed, then ripened, at an ideal rate. The excellent weather during the ripening season was interrupted by rain events during the harvest. The single-minded quality focus of the viticulture and winemaking teams, with hour by hour assessment, led to optimum picking decisions. Our low-yielding, early-ripening vineyards with their open canopies, stood us in good stead in what was a tricky vintage across Marlborough and New Zealand.

THE HARVEST
The Sauvignon Blanc harvest commenced on April 1st and was completed on April 20th. Fruits were picked with ripe flavours and great acid balance.

VINIFICATION
Following the harvest, the free-run juice was cold-settled for 48-72 hours before racking.
Fermentation was carried out primarily in stainless steel tanks, with a mixture of cultured and wild yeast. Approximately 3% of the blend was fermented at warmer temperatures in old French oak barriques and large format vats.
As usual our Sauvignon Blanc was blended stringently to include only the best portions. The final blend shows an alcohol of 13.1% with 2.4 g/L RS, 3.1 pH and TA 7.5 g/L.