Hunter's Marlborough Offshoot Sauvignon Blanc Pet Nat 2022

The fruit for this wine was sourced from the Waihopai Valley sub region of Marlborough. Classic Sauvignon Blanc characters are expressed on the nose that is complimented by beautiful apple and ripe citrus aromas. The palate is vibrant and fresh with passionfruit and pear notes. Good natural acidity brings all these characters together into a well-balanced wine. The wine shows a light spritz due to the fermentation finishing in bottle.

Pétillant Naturel (pet nat) translates from French to naturally sparkling. To achieve carbonation, we bottle the wine while it is still fermenting and close the bottle with a crown seal. The yeast continues to ferment the sugars, producing carbon dioxide that becomes trapped in solution.

The wine is cloudy as there is no filtration prior to bottling, kind of like a pale ale beer. The sediment at the bottom of the bottle is the dead yeast cells that settle once the fermentation process has completed.

We used Sauvignon Blanc because it is a variety that is full of character, especially when grown in Marlborough. This Pet-Nat provides a little glimpse at the type of wine our Winemakers are used to tasting in the winery before wines are prepared for bottling.

Fermentation was started in tank using selected yeasts. To achieve carbonation, we bottle the wine while it is still fermenting and close the bottle with a crown seal. The yeast continues to ferment the sugars, producing carbon dioxide that becomes trapped in solution. The wine is cloudy as there is no filtration prior to bottling.