Greenhough River Garden Sauvignon Blanc 2022, Nelson, South Island, New Zealand

For over twenty-five years Greenhough has been crafting authentic Nelson wines. Wines full of the character of their place and the people who have shaped them. Our distinctive flavors come from mature vines and organic processes which marry convention and innovation. This ‘alternative’ Sauvignon Blanc leans towards a more complex and textural wine style. Wild barrel-ferment, extended lees contact and full malolactic have contributed complexity and richness in the form of subtle aromatic corruption, savory spice and phenolic interest. Fruit was hand harvested and whole-bunch pressed to maximize tension and fineness of juice, briefly settled and inoculated with a vineyard derived pied-de-cuve. The wine rested on gross yeast lees for a further nine months and completed malolactic fermentation during this time. Aromas are varietal but deliberately toned-down – Floral, fragrant with notes of zesty citrus oil and herbal, caraway and fennel seed characters. Also present is an added depth of savory oak, yeast lees and a sniff of struck match complexity. The palate is incisive and attractively structured. It’s light, natural fruit sweetness (in the way of milk fresh from the coconut), hints of malolactic and integrated yeast and oak spice soften and enrich the whole. The wine fulfills the brief – to create complexity and balance out of a range of individual elements.