Hans Herzog Sauvignon Blanc 2020

Accolades:
94/100 – James Suckling
93/100 – Stephen Wong MW (2019 vintage)

“A dry and chunky wine with sliced melons, apples and hints of caramel and cream. It’s medium- to full-bodied with layers of fruit and phenolics and a fresh and vibrant finish to the richness. Delicious. Drink now.” – James Suckling

Tasting Note: This is Marlborough, but a world apart, rivalling the finest Bordeaux Blancs. Sauvignon Blanc provides intrinsic aromatics and acidity, while Sémillon adds body and smooth texture. Explosively rich and completely dry, this wine boasts the elegance and refinement of a stately Sauvignon Blanc. Intense minerality from the gravelly soils complements exotic fruit aromas of lychee, pineapple, and honeydew melon. The silky texture comes from extended lees contact (sur lie). Vibrant acidity stimulates the palate, keeping it watering throughout. The wine has great purity, leaving a refreshing yet weighty mouthfeel with remarkable vigour and persistence from start to finish.

Winemaking Notes: “Gently destemmed with partly whole berries. Long, cold maceration to extract the wonderful flavours from the skins. After gentle pressing, the wine embarked upon a natural wild yeast co-fermentation to express it’s unique terroir and sense of place in 500 litre French oak puncheons (20% new). The young wine was left on its pure lees, which was regularly stirred during the first three months, responsible for the exquisite silkiness, complexity and depth. After 20 month of maturation in the barrel, we bottled this nectar with no cold stabilization or fining and only light filtration to retain the beautiful aromas. Natural sediments may show but do not impact on the high quality of this natural wine.” – Hans Herzog

Certification: Organic

Alcohol Volume: 13.5%

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon

Region: Marlborough, New Zealand