Sauvignon Blanc “Origin” 2023 – Saint Clair

The grapes to produce Sauvignon Blanc Origin Saint Clair were pressed immediately after harvesting to minimise skin contact. After cold settling, the Sauvignon Blanc Origin Saint Clair juice from each batch was fermented in 100% stainless steel tanks at cool temperatures, using selected yeast strains. Each batch was assessed for quality and only the best components were selected for this blend.

The fruit was sourced from a selection of vineyards located predominantly in the lower Wairau sub-region. This is what Saint Clair regards as Marlborough’s best subregion for Sauvignon Blanc, producing wines with heightened expression. These vineyards sit on alluvial, silt soils. Each vineyard block was harvested when it reached maximum flavor maturity and physiological ripeness.

The Saint Clair winery is run by Neal and Judy Ibbotson were pioneers in the Marlborough wine industry, first planting vineyards in the valley in 1978 and then establishing Saint Clair Family Estate in 1994. They own 160 hectares of vineyard in 10 different Marlborough locations chosen specifically for the attributes of their individual “terroir” and ability to produce top-quality grapes. Neal Ibbotson combines his extensive expertise in viticulture with the talent of one of New Zealand’s leading winemaking teams led by Hamish Clark. Since 1994, when wines from the first vintage all won medals including gold, the name Saint Clair has been synonymous with quality and its award-winning record continues today. This is a sentiment shared by Bob Campbell MW, who says “Saint Clair now makes the country’s and perhaps the world’s best Sauvignon Blanc”.