2019 Vavasour Sauvignon Blanc Awatere Valley

It's not just the grinding winds from the west or the imposing presence of Tapuae-O-Uenuku, the towering peak that looms over Marlborough's Awatere Valley. It's not just the deep, rocky soils formed millions of years ago by relentless glaciers that molded the landscape. It's not just the arid climate marked by sundrenched days and cold nights. It's the combination of all those things together that shape the inimitable character, flavors and textures of Vavasour wines.

The Vavasour family traces their ancestry back to the Norman invasion of England. One Vavasour ancestor is thought to have been a 'taster' for William the Conqueror. The rooster on our label is from the family crest and is an indication of the family's lineage.

The Vavasours arrived in New Zealand and established themselves in the Awatere Valley in 1890. Nearly a century later in 1985, Peter Vavasour identified the Awatere Valley as the new frontier for New Zealand wine growing and planted the first grapes there. Vavasour’s first vintage was 1989; within three years they were garnering high accolades and had officially put Awatere Valley on the map of great wine making regions.

The Awatere Valley is a sub-appellation within Marlborough. It has deep Greywacke soils compacted over millions of years by ancient glaciers. Huge boulders, carried down the Awatere River, are strewn across the valley floor. The vineyards are partially protected from the prevailing north-westerly winds by a broad range of mountain peaks. Awatere valley wines are particularly prized for their intense aromatics, ripe flavors, dynamic textures and concentration.

Vavasour’s 85 hectare (196-acre) estate vineyards are located in one of the marquee sites for growing grapes in the Awatere Valley. The climate here is noteworthy for its wide diurnal temperature swings; the soils are low in fertility and comprised of stones and pebbles mixed with clay and loam. The rainfall ranges from 279-406 millimeters (11-16 inches) a year, arid by any measurement.

All of the fruit for this 2019 Sauvignon Blanc came from Vavsour’s estate vineyards in the Awatere Valley.  This region’s unique terroir makes a wine of distinction and the winemaking advances like harvesting at night to preserve the flavor and freshness that epitomize Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.  OUR TASTING NOTES    This wine has a good amount of tropical fruit on the nose papaya and passionfruit with notes of white and green pepper spice and a briny mineral nuance.   On the tongue the flavor profile brings a concentrated mix of white peach and tropical fruit, with a crisp acid backbone and mineral laced bone dry finish, nice complexity and length for a wine at this price.  Finish 40 + TASTING DATE 8/15/21.