Cloudy Bay Sauv Blc 2007

Winemaker's Notes:

CLOUDY BAY SAUVIGNON BLANC 2007 A CHALLENGING SEASON REDEEMED BY AN IDEAL AUTUMN, PRODUCING A MODEST CROP OF RIPE, CONCENTRATED FRUIT WITH EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY. Winemakers Notes Pale straw green in colour and enticingly fragrant, the 2007 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc is reminiscent of a fresh summer fruit salsa – ripe peach, passionfruit, mango and juicy citrus – sprinkled with fresh fennel and a dash of Pastis. The palate is rich and succulent, with a zesty citrus and apple-sherbet acidity that leads to a long, lingering, and characteristically crisp finish. Vineyard Budburst in Marlborough was once again earlier than normal and the growing season in the Wairau Valley raced off with a frost free start. However, early predictions of a bumper crop were quashed during the coldest December in 50 years, affecting the later flowering varieties, especially Sauvignon Blanc. Cooler than average weather conditions prevailed through most of the summer, bringing the season back from it's early start and putting worried looks on many a winemaker's face. But, the beginning of autumn brought the arrival of a true 'Indian Summer' and the vineyards ripened rapidly under sunny, blue skies. Harvest The The sauvignon blanc harvest commenced slightly earlier than normal on the 28th of March under settled conditions, the first fruit coming from the stonier, warmer blocks around the winery. Harvesting continued steadily during the month through the progressively later ripening sites, with the last fruit coming in on the 20th of April. Whilst the crops were lower than initially expected, the flavours were superb and all vineyards produced ripe, concentrated fruit of exceptional quality. Vinification The fruit was machine harvested during the cooler night and early morning temperatures and transported directly to the winery. The grapes were de-stemmed and transferred straight to tank presses. Free run and lightly pressed juice was cold settled for 48 hours then racked and inoculated with neutral yeast strains. The fermentations were carried out in stainless steel tanks; after fermentation the wine remained in contact with yeast lees for around two months, prior to blending in July and subsequent bottling in August. Final wine analysis shows an alcohol of 13.5%, pH of 3.11 and titratable acidity 7.4 g/L.