Ana Sauvignon Blanc - Marlborough, New Zealand

Description

Introduction

A family owned estate situated in the unique microclimate of the Awatere Valley, Marlborough. The Eradus wine-making and viticultural philosophy is based around the concept of ‘balance’; we find this philosophy perfectly expressed in all of their wines.

Background

Har and Sophie Eradus immigrated to New Zealand in 1982 and decided to start making wine from their own estate when they retired, some 20 years later. They looked around, found and bought what was to become the Eradus vineyard. They felt their decision was confirmed as the right one when they came across a door of an old “pot belly” stove in a shed on the grounds. On the door was an embossed emblem which contained the letters H, S and E – Har and Sophie Eradus. This emblem is now the logo on every bottle of Eradus wine.

Running the vineyard and producing wine proved to be a little more work than they originally thought and after the first vintage they decided to let their son, Michiel, take over the reins; he now runs the estate with his young family and small team.

The vineyards are set in the Awatere Valley, south of the Wairau Plains. Michiel believes that their location is partly responsible for the difference between his wines and others from Marlborough, many of which come from the Wairau.

In between the Wairau and the Awatere, there are a range of high hills that block most of the rainfall that the Wairau can experience. Daytime temperatures are warm but nights are cooler here and, being closer to the sea, they also tend to see stronger winds. These factors combine to give the distinct mineral and herbaceous notes which we have come to expect in all Eradus wines.

Vineyard Information

Location The Eradus vineyards are situated in the Awatere Valley.

Climate The climate here is similar to the Awatere with the warm days and cool nights contributing to the freshness of the wine, but the daytime temperatures are slightly higher and it is generally less windy. This means the wine has all the flavour and minerality of the other Eradus wines but gives a more up-front, juicy style.

Soils are alluvial, free-draining and stony. This means that there is less water retention in the soil and the vines are forced to dig deep for water and nutrients, encouraging vigour in the vines.

Vineyard technique is sustainable; Michiel intervenes in the vineyard as little as possible. When it comes to pruning and cropping, each vine is treated individually, helping to ensure that each one produces the very best fruit possible. The company works in a way that is good for the environment and is currently going through the process of becoming certified to show that they are carbon neutral.

Harvest takes place between mid-March and mid-April, depending on when the grapes are ready. The Sauvignon Blanc is machine harvested, which means that the grapes are very quickly transferred to the winery, preserving freshness and aromatics.

Winemaking Details

Grape variety Is Sauvignon Blanc.

Winemaker Michiel Eradus, assisted by Jeremy Hyland.

Fermentation and Maturation The juice is cold settled in order to maximize natural flavours and then left to rest for 3 days. Each batch is racked to remove any lees or sediment and then fermented separately in stainless steel, at cold temperatures, using selected yeasts. The use of these yeasts, rather than wild ones, allows more control over fermentation and enables temperatures to stay low – wild yeasts could die. Post fermentation the wine is racked again, blended and stabilized to remove tartrates. The wine is filtered, but not fined (leaving lots of natural flavour), and then bottled.

Tasting note

Pale lemon in colour. The nose is typically Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, with plenty of upfront grass and gooseberries. The palate is fresh and clean with characters similar to the nose. There is a lovely citric acidity to balance.

Summary