Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc

Description

Stunningly aromatic, tropical and lime citrus notes with a zesty freshness. – Michael Ivicevich, WinemakerThe philosophy of Oyster Bay is to produce fine, distinctly regional wines that are elegant and assertive with glorious fruit flavours. It all starts in the vineyard. We treat each vineyard block and parcel of wine individually. The fruit is crushed, gently pressed and the juice is cold settled. A long, slow temperature controlled fermentation and immediate bottling after winemaking, retains all the wonderful fruit flavours and aromas that are present. Pale straw green in colour with brilliant clarity, Oyster Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is zesty and aromatic with lots of lively fruit characters. A concentration of assertive passionfruit and tropical fruit flavours with an abundant bouquet, it is a wine that is always crisp, elegant and refreshing.Marlborough Growing Season 2016Early season temperatures were cool and continued through a dry December. As the summer progressed, temperatures warmed providing excellent conditions for flowering and fruit set. Plentiful sunshine created an exceptional environment for veraison with first-rate canopy management delivering ideal yields. Marlboroughs hallmark diurnal variation supported slow ripening through an extended growing season, resulting in exceptional fruit flavour, finesse and vibrant acidity.Soil Type Prime central Wairau, Renwick and Brancott soils. Shallow sandy loams over deep layers of free draining river gravels, providing moderate fertility and low vigour.Clonal / Rootstock Selection An emphasis on Bordeaux and UCD1 clones for pure, instantly recognisable varietal intensity and flavour. Medium-to-low vigour rootstock selection matched for suitability to clone and soil vigour.Winemaking Techniques Throughout harvest, fruit was selected from progressively later ripening vineyard blocks, commencing with the stonier free-draining sites. Upon receipt to the winery, the grapes were destemmed and transferred to the tank presses where the free-run juice was separated and the remaining fruit lightly pressed. The juice was clarified and then inoculated with a select range of yeasts for added complexity and aromaticity during fermentation in stainless steel tanks. A slow, temperature controlled fermentation at 12-14C 54 59F was undertaken. After a short period of yeast lees contact, the wine was racked for final blending and bottled young to ensure that the fresh, crisp and elegant varietal characters were retained. – Oyster Bay