Ata Rangi - Te Wā Sauvignon Blanc 2019

Te Wā, ‘time and place’ in te reo Māori pays homage to the distinctive wine style delivered by the stony, alluvial gravels and the cool climate of the Martinborough Terrace. Our cool south prevailing wind during spring is brutal on developing bunches at flowering resulting in looser, lighter bunch weights providing lower yields. The deep gravels temper the vigour of the otherwise rampant Sauvignon Blanc vine, giving less overall canopy. This smaller canopy results in a slower, longer ripening, with a depth of flavour in the skins and a ripe crunchy seed.

In search of further expressing our place, Te Wā Sauvignon Blanc is hand picked and sorted to remove any botrytis. It is then broken into portions, with 100% whole bunch fermentations, destemmed fruit fermented on skins in large oak hatch barrels and then the remaining portions pressed and fermented in oak barrels and small stainless-steel tanks.

This blend of skins fermentations with the more traditional pressed juice results in an exotically perfumed wine, with aromas of grapefruit, guava, green papaya salad and Vietnamese mint. The palate compliments, an intense nose, with flavours of ginger, lemon grass and cinnamon. The 2019 season with it lower yields and great balance of sugar and flavour intensity has resulted in a wine with real palate volume and a long lingering finish. The balance of acid, and phenolics from the skins will see this wine developing further over the next 5 years.

Te Wā, ‘time and place’ in te reo Māori pays homage to the distinctive wine style delivered by the stony, alluvial gravels and the cool climate of the Martinborough Terrace. Our cool south prevailing wind during spring is brutal on developing bunches at flowering resulting in looser, lighter bunch weights providing lower yields. The deep gravels temper the vigour of the otherwise rampant Sauvignon Blanc vine, giving less overall canopy. This smaller canopy results in a slower, longer ripening, with a depth of flavour in the skins and a ripe crunchy seed.

In search of further expressing our place, Te Wā Sauvignon Blanc is hand picked and sorted to remove any botrytis. It is then broken into portions, with 100% whole bunch fermentations, destemmed fruit fermented on skins in large oak hatch barrels and then the remaining portions pressed and fermented in oak barrels and small stainless-steel tanks.

This blend of skins fermentations with the more traditional pressed juice results in an exotically perfumed wine, with aromas of grapefruit, guava, green papaya salad and Vietnamese mint. The palate compliments, an intense nose, with flavours of ginger, lemon grass and cinnamon. The 2019 season with it lower yields and great balance of sugar and flavour intensity has resulted in a wine with real palate volume and a long lingering finish. The balance of acid, and phenolics from the skins will see this wine developing further over the next 5 years.