Marlborough Black Label Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc 2023

Description Black Label range of wines is everything you come to expect from our Estate Range – exquisite charm and uncompromised quality, with a touch more provenance, edginess and sophistication for the adventurous. Harvest 2023 was a season characterized by collectiveness, collaboration, tranquility, and winemaking finesse. It began strongly with excellent flowering, leading to the potential for an abundant crop come harvest time. A classic Marlborough summer saw consistent days with no excessive heat and a slightly lower sunshine total than average. Light yet persistent rain events during berry maturation meant that focused vineyard management was essential to preserve healthy fruit for the harvest. This challenge was well met across the vineyards, resulting in beautifully clean fruit ready for a promising harvest. From the Lower Wairau subregion on heavy silt soils, favouring plenty of tropical fruit and herbaceous flavours. With a talented and experienced team of cellar hands and leaders, this vintage provided an opportunity for everyone to showcase their skills, collaborate, and share expertise, allowing the true essence of Marlborough fruit to shine. The grapes were hand picked and immediately pressed. The juice was fermented in barrels and aged on lees until 2024, then prepared for bottling. Ripe fruit fermented in French oak barrels give this wine a rich, mouth filling texture. Hints of vanilla, toast and brioche combine with tropical fruits and refreshing citrus and green melon flavours. All the fruit of Sauvignon Blanc with additional complexity from oak barrel maturation and fruit flavour development. Creamy pasta, seafood chowder, or best of all – oysters, will be a match made in heaven for this wine.