BABICH WINEMAKERS' RESERVE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2005
Overview:
The fruit 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.
Grapes:
100% Sauvignon Blanc
Region:
Marlborough
Winemaker:
Adam Hazeldine
Recommended Food:
A nice partner with lime-marinated fish or pan-fried chicken pieces with rosemary-scattered baked potato wedges.
Recommended Cellaring:
1-4 years
Production Notes:
The grapes were harvested in late April/ early May. The Awatere and a majority of the Waihopai juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks to capture the intense varietal character of the fruit. The balance of Waihopai juice was fermented in French oak barriques and puncheons then lees stirred to contribute weight and complexity. The wine was blended in August.
Tasting Notes:
Passionfruit aromas mingle with mineral and pea forming a complex cocktail on the nose. The palate is warm and powerful. Flavours of tropical fruit and green melon stand out. The finish is dry and lingering.
Awards:
SILVER MEDAL
-New Zealand Royal Easter Show Wine Awards, 2006
SILVER MEDAL
-International Wine Challenge, UK, 20065 STARS
-Cuisine Magazine, January, 2007
Reviews:
"Light straw. Richly herbal nose is full and aromatic with flickers of fruit. Fruit is full and lush on impact and the mid palate is alivewith ripe fruit and fresh herb nuances, with vigoru and a crisp aspect. Supple, long and rather fine, it is mostly fruit but has enough sophistication to impress."
7/10
-Keith Stewart, Sommnet Website, October 11th, 2005
"Showing some youth with oak and alcohol still melding into the fruit. A wine with good potential, with balance and distinctive sauvignon characters, just starting to settle down."
4 STARS
-Winestate Magazine, Peter Saunders, March, 2006
"Drink 2006-08. Extraordinarily floral and perfectly balanced between herbal, green-grass aromas and ripe melon, fig and citrus flavours. Good length."
17.5/20
-Jancis Robinson, New Releases from NZ, November, 2006
"More complex than most of its Kiwi compatriots, with partial barrel ferment adding great texture and mouth feel. You fi nd powerful asparagus spears, lemon grass and ripe stone fruit as well as musks and grassy fl owers. Great length and pleasure. A straight Marlborough label is simpler and popular."
-Tony Love, The Advertiser, November 22nd, Australia, 2006
"Gently Wooded Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, herbaceous flavours. Grown in Waihopai and Awatere Valleys, it is mostly handled in tanks, but 10 percent of the blend is fermented and lees-aged in old French oak barriques. 2005 vintage is fleshy and full bodied 13.9% alcohol, with strong ripe, tropical fruit flavours, a stronger seasoning of oak than the Black Label and a well rounded finish."
4 STARS
-Michael Cooper's Buyer's Guide to New Zealand Wines, 2007
"Now at its best, this very lively wine has rich, ripe-fruit aromas and a lovely balance of fruit and oak flavours."
5 STARS
-Cuisine Magazine, January, 2007
"Really rich and ripe, the flavours are of more of peach and stonefruit than lemon and grassy notes. A very ripe, concentrated style that is warm and textural. The flavours and structure are enhanced with restrained oak influence, which supports with the wine's creamy-smooth texture. Definitely food friendly."
SHORT LIST
-WineNZ Magazine, Summer, 2007
"Showing some youth with oak and alcohol still melding into fruit. A wine with good potential, with balance and distinctive Sauvignon characters, just starting to settle down."
-Peter Saunders, A Guide to New Zealand Wine 2007
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*New label as shown released November, 2006.
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