2018 'Abstract' Sauvignon Blanc

Full bottle 1,533 g. Dry-farmed fruit from Holdaway Vineyard at Dillon’s Point is hand-harvested, fermented spontaneously on full solids in seasoned (3–5 years old) French oak puncheons (500 litres). The barrels were not stirred at all, however a small amount of SO2 was added at the start of spring to avoid malolactic conversion. Maturation in these seasoned oak puncheons took place for 15 months before being racked and bottled without filtration on 19 June 2019 . TA 6.5 g/l, pH 3.21. Smart Stelvin Lux closure. If the Holdaway Sauvignon was all about the fruit, with a little bit of winemaking, this is more about the winemaking but could not be built like this without that same fruit quality and intensity – as it opens there’s blackcurrant leaf and an almost hidden note of tropical fruit and richness. Marked struck-match, smoky, cordite first impression, but not excessive unless you don’t like this style. This is bold, fresh, with the start of some cedary development of bottle age. On the palate, the texture is rounded and deep, filling the mouth but still incredibly fresh. Long, mouth-watering, salty finish, and a promise of more bottle-aged complexity to come. Delicious now but no rush. Classy, complex, distinctive. For lovers of Sauvignon in the style of Dogpoint Section 94. (JH)