te tera sauvignon blanc 2009

Our 2009 Te Tera Sauvignon Blanc has its roots firmly in Martinborough where we make wines of depth and personality. Our climate and soils allow us to make Sauvignon Blanc full of ripe passionfruit, tropical aromas whilst showing vibrancy and lovely length and texture on the palate.

VINEYARD

The grapes were sourced from vineyards in and around the Martinborough township. Work in the vineyard and winery was focussed on crafting a varietal Sauvignon Blanc that emphasised the characters we see in Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc - ripe fruit notes and soft full flavour and lower acidity on the palate.

VINIFICATION

The grapes were hand harvested on cool mornings to maintain their vibrancy and freshness. After destemming the grapes were gently pressed and the juice left to settle for two days. After careful racking the juice was cool fermented with selective yeasts to release the aromatic compounds found in the grapes. This wine spent four months in tank on fine lees to enhance the mouth feel and texture before bottling.

THE SEASON

We entered the 2009 growing season with good soil moisture and warm, settled spring conditions ensuing an excellent flowering. This was ideal for even fruit formation and above average crop levels, meaning we had to carry out extensive fruit thinning in January to reduce crop levels. February was warm with the occasional heat spike (remember the Melbourne wild fires) with picking starting on the 25th March. Our conversion towards the biological farming of our vineyards resulted in clean fruit being picked and it is especially pleasing to see the progress this is making.