BABICH WINEMAKERS' RESERVE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2006
Overview:
Sauvignon Blanc from our two Marlborough vineyards was blended to produce this rich and flavoursome wine: Cowslip Valley, (Waihopai), providing full, soft and luscious fruit weight, and Wakefield Downs, (Awatere), bringing strength and focus.
Region:
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:
The grapes were harvested in April/ May. The Awatere and a majority of the Waihopai juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks to capture the exuberant varietal character of the fruit. The balance of Waihopai juice, 10% of the blend, was fermented in new and 1 year old French oak barriques for 5 months and lees stirred to contribute weight and complexity. The wine was blended in August.
Tasting Notes:
The nose displays sweet melon fruit with mineral and spice, wild herbal note also. The flavours are concentrated and upfront with a note of minerality joining the lively and fresh acid on the finish. This is a wine of focus and length.
Awards:
FINALIST (Top 20%)
-Sydney International Wine Competition 2007, Australia
SILVER
-Wine Style Asia Awards, 2007SILVER
-Red Hill Show Society - Cool Climate Wine Show 2008, Australia
Reviews:
"A small portion of the juice (10%) was fermented in barrels then aged on lees to add an extra dimension resulting in an elegant style of Sauvignon Blanc. A taut, tightly focused wine showing fresh limes with herbaceous and mineral notes on the nose. The palate has good concentration and fresh acidity leading to a crisp dry finish. A serious wine better suited to dinner tables rather than casual drinking. At its best: now to 2009."
4 STARS
-Wine Orbit Review, August 2007
"A top example of gently wooded Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, with very ripe flavours and great drinkability. Grown in the Waihopai and Awatere valleys, it is mostly handled in tanks, but 10 per cent is fermented and lees-aged in old French oak barriques. The 2006 vintage is ripely scented and full-bodied (14 per cent alcohol), with rich tropical-fruit flavours, a light seasoning of toasty oak, and a dry, rounded finish. It's a complex and delicious wine, drinking well now."
4.5 STARS
-Michael Cooper's A Buyers Guide to New Zealand Wines 2008
"Crisp, herbaceous style, slightly spicy, with complexity from 10 per cent fermentation and lees stirring in French oak barriques. Maturing well, with very good freshness and depth."
-Winestate Magazine, March 2008
"With an extra year in the bottle the wine still remains fresh and vibrant showing attractive aromas of fresh cut grass and passion fruit. The palate is fruity and attractive with excellent intensity and balanced acidity."
4 STARS,
88 POINTS
-WineOrbit Review, March 2008
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