BABICH WINEMAKERS' RESERVE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2009

 
Region: 
Wairau, Awatere and Brancott Valleys, Marlborough

Winemaker: 
Adam Hazeldine

Recommended Food: 
Partner it with crumbed chicken breasts dabbed with mustard-cream sauce, or with baked salmon, smeared with salsa verde (puréed mint, parsley and capers).
 
Recommended Cellaring:
1-3 years

Production Notes:
After harvest the grapes were quickly crushed and pressed into stainless steel tanks where most of the juice was fermented at controlled cool temperatures to capture the intense varietal flavours. A small portion of juice was fermented in old oak barriques to contribute to the weight and complexity of the wine.

Tasting Notes:
Gooseberries, pungent lychee, and rock melon create a lifted and appealing bouquet. Flinty mineral characters add complexity to the nose. It has a delicious sweet fruit intensity, is fresh, yet rich and complex. The small barrel fermented portion lends weight and texture to a lovely mouth filling palate. Zesty Lemon and subtle minerality appear on the finish. This is a very focused and classy wine to contemplate and enjoy

Awards:
GOLD MEDAL
-Liquorland Top 100, NZ, May 2010

Reviews:
"Punchy and highly aromatic, in a far more nettley, herbal style than past vintages. Fleshy and rich, with a very subtle seasoning of oak adding complexity. Quite forward."
4.5 STARS
-Winestate Magazine, Michael Cooper, Sep/Oct 2010