Country: New Zealand
Grape Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2016
ABV: 12.5%
This pure and powerful wine has lifted passionfruit, grapefruit and gooseberry aromas. On the palate there is plenty of zest with herbaceous crushed herb and nettle flavours combining wonderfully with layers of fresh lime and stone fruits. This is a classic Upper Awatere wine with a chalky mineral character and racy acidity that helps give this wine extraordinary length and class.
What the producer says:
The Clark family vineyard is situated in the beautiful Upper Awatere Valley where the vines are subjected to the harsh climatic conditions such as high winds and cool temperatures. The vines struggle and produce small but intensely concentrated berries.
Warm temperatures over the crucial flowering period resulted in good healthy bunches, which hung from the vines ripening over the summer months. Careful vine management including trimming, leaf plucking and crop thinning meant the fruit was ripe, vibrant and clean on harvest day.
Vintage:
The 2016 season was a perfect season. Spring weather was mild, summer temperatures were not too hot and autumn was dry and filled with sunshine. As a result, at harvest time, the canopy was green and the berries were full of flavour and absent of any disease.
Location:
This wine is made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the home block in the Awatere Valley of Marlborough, New Zealand.
Terrior:
The terroir of the Upper Awatere is unique to Marlborough. Ancient soils combined with harsh climatic conditions make the vines struggle and fight for every bit of flavour produced in the grapes.
Process:
Each block in the vineyard was managed differently to create different flavours at harvest. These blocks were also fermented separately in the winery with different yeasts to complement their varying personalities. Once each batch had finished fermenting, they were blended back together to create a wine of perfect balance with typical Upper Awatere character.
Tasting:
This pure and powerful wine has lifted passionfruit, grapefruit and gooseberry aromas. On the palate there is plenty of zest with herbaceous crushed herb and nettle flavours combining wonderfully with layers of fresh lime and stone fruits. This is a classic Upper Awatere wine with a chalky mineral character and racy acidity that helps give this wine extraordinary length and class.
Food Pairing:
Great with chicken, fish and shellfish and pasta.
Reviews:
Sam Kim, Wine Orbit – Fresh, fragrant and inviting, the bouquet shows grapefruit, nectarine, lime zest and dill aromas, leading to a vibrant palate that is filled with tasty flavours. The wine is punchy and juicy, and offers plenty of varietal intensity, finishing long and mouth-watering. At its best: now to 2018. 90 points 4.5 stars
Raymond Chan - Bright, very pale straw with slight green hues, near colourless. The nose is softly concentrated and well packed with pungent aromas of passionfruit harmoniously melded with subtle notes of cut grass, fresh herbs and thirst-quenching mineral elements. The wine flows easily to an elegant finish of passionfruit, green apples and lime juice. This is a softly concentrated and gently rich, passionfruity Sauvignon Blanc with fine, dry textures and lacy acidity.
17/20 4 stars
Winemaker:
Clark Estate is a passionate family wine business that prides itself on innovation and quality.
The journey began when Peter and Jane Clark made the decision to venture to Marlborough and plant a vineyard to live off the land. Over time, the business has evolved to include their son, Simon, who is now the family winemaker, creating wines of world class quality and his sister, Sarah who drives the sales and distribution division.
Clark Estate takes bold steps to stand out from the crowd and is not afraid to show what can be done. Whether it be cutting edge winemaking, dynamic packaging or market driven initiatives such as KeyKeg to cater for the fast growing wine-on-tap market.
Clark Estate showcases the best of Marlborough wines with an emphasis on the Upper Awatere Valley. The portfolio includes Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Riesling from the home block in the Awatere Valley and Pinot Noir grapes sourced from high in the Wairau Valley for the Pinot Noir and Rosé wines.
