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Stoneleigh Rapuara Series 2008 Sauvignon Blanc
Stoneleigh claims that the unique terroir where the Stoneleigh
vineyards lie gives the wine independent qualities. Whether it is
the terroir or the winemaker’s skill, there is a unique feel and
taste about this wine.
The vineyard is situated on the northern side of the Wairau Valley
and in close proximity to the river itself. The ground on which the
vineyards grow therefore is what you can expect from a river bed:
deep gravel beds covered in small sunstones. As hostile as it may
sound, the sunstones actually help ripening the fruit by reflecting
the sun’s heat. The area also has cool nights, which helps with the
intense fruit flavours of the wine.
Stoneleigh’s winemaker, Jamie Marfell says “this wine is all about
selecting the highest quality parcels of fruit from our best
performing vineyards.”
The 2008 growing season had a slower start than usual with budburst
starting later in 2007 than it had In the past few seasons.
Temperatures were still up on the average though. Unfortunately
Marlborough did experience the windiest October since records began
though and the season was beginning to look a bit challenging. By
November and December though the weather had settled, providing a
warm, sunny flowing period and resulting in optimal fruit set.
When it came to harvest time, bunch numbers were lower than usual,
but due to ideal flowing conditions, there were high berry numbers
on each bunch. Well timed rainfall had also increased bunch size.
Above average temperatures leading up to harvest meant that the
fruit was harvested seven to ten days earlier than usual and that
the fruit had to be harvested quickly in order to keep it in optimal
condition.
Once harvested, most of the grapes were crushed in a bag press. The
juice was then drained and gently pressed from the skins to minimise
excessive phenolics. The juice was fermented slowly using a selected
aromatic yeast strain at cool temperatures to retain the very
distinctive regional and varietal characters.
As I would expect with a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, I found the
bouquet to be vibrant and lively. It bursts with aromas of
grapefruit, passionfruit, red currant and has a slight hint of
gooseberry with a subtle mineral base. On the palate, I found the
Stooneleigh 2008 Rapaura Series Sauvignon Blanc to have wonderfully
complex fruit flavours with citrus, red currant, passionfruit and
savoury notes. It is fresh and fruity with a hint of nettle, and a
long lingering finish with a bite of ripe grapefruit.
I would personally enjoy this wine with fish cakes or a good fish
pie. If you prefer to try it later, it should cellar for up to two
years, but is drinking well now.
Reviewed by Stephen Clark (25/5/2009)
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