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Esk Valley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2009
 Last
week I met with Esk Valley’s winemaker Gordon Russell to try Esk
Valley’s latest wines and also to talk about the changes Esk Valley
has made. Consumers will notice the changes firstly by a change of
label, but the changes are fare more substantial than that. In fact
the only things that have seemed to stay the same are the excellent
quality of the wines and the winemaker.
Esk Valley has until now produced wines only from Hawkes Bay, but in
order to move into some international markets, it was decided that
the brand needed to produce some Marlborough wines, and particularly
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Some wineries might simply buy grapes
from another vineyard or just bottle a parent company’s wine under
their own label, but it was also decided that Esk Valley needed its
own vineyards in Marlborough, so they could keep control of the
growing process and produce wine in the style they wanted. For Esk
Valley, this style means producing a fruit driven wine with as
little interference as possible.
The move into Marlborough also means that Esk Valley produces other
wines from the region. It also means that Gordon has to travel
between the two islands to ensure the vineyards and wines are being
maintained to his standards.
The changes don’t stop there though. The ranges have also had name
changes, with the Black Label now called Cellar Selection and the
Reserve now the Winemakers. The hand crafted approach still remains
though, with Gordon using as little technology as possible. Even the
cardboard cards around the neck to help with the transition from the
old to new labels are all hand tied by one woman
For those of you who have tried Esk Valley’s Sauvignon Blancs in the
past, the difference between the Hawkes Bay versions and the new
Marlborough one are substantial. Esk Valley chose sites in the
Wairau Valley and the southern Awatere Valley for their vineyards.
The Wairau Valley’s clay soils provide structure and body to the
wine, while the gravely, free draining soils of the Awatere Valley
give the wine the vibrant aromas of gooseberry. pea pod, nettle and
citrus.
The individual vineyard parcels were harvested, promptly transported
to the winery and tank fermented using selected yeast strains. They
were then left on lees to gain richness and complexity. The wine was
only blended and bottled in August, so it is still very young.
The pale coloured Esk Vally 2009 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc has
that typical vibrancy that makes Sauvignon Blanc from this region so
well known. I found this wine has a wonderful bouquet of pineapple,
nectarine and passionfruit with hints of gooseberry. On the palate,
I found the wine to contain the flavours of zesty lime, citrus and
pineapple. There are also distinctive notes of tropical fruits,
nettle and herbs. It is an excellent Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and
sets the benchmark high for further Marlborough vintages from Esk
Valley Wines. It is a full bodied wine with a crisp finish, that is
very drinkable now but still should cellar for a further two years.
I would particularly recommend trying it with lightly spiced Asian
dishes, and of course it is a good match for seafood.
Reviewed by Stephen Clark (28/9/2009)
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