Yealands Sauvignon Blanc Blush 2023

Bouquet: Bright and crisp with notes of citrus, underpinned by herbs and blackcurrant. Palate: The palate is full and lively with juicy fruit characters that is balanced with a long, crisp mineral finish.

This is the earliest harvest on record since our inception. There were late spring frosts in Marlborough and some challenging weather over the flowering period, which resulted in moderate crops throughout the region. These moderate crops, coupled with a warm and stable end to the growing season, set us up for an early start with stunning fruit. We had clear warm days throughout March, so we could pick at our leisure, without any pressure from the elements.

The resulting wine is showing the wonderful hallmarks that our Awatere vineyards are known for – highly aromatic fruit flavours, with underlying purity and minerality.

Parcels of Sauvignon Blanc from Awatere and Wairau Valley were selected to blend this wine. When the fruit was at optimal ripeness, the fruit was harvested, de-stemmed and gently pressed. The clear juice then underwent a long cool fermentation in stainless steel tanks, using a range of specially selected yeasts to enhance varietal characters and structure. A splash of Syrah was added from one of our Hawke’s Bay vineyards to give the attractive pink hue. Once blended, the wine was stabilised and gently filtered prior to bottling.