MOKOblack Sauvignon Blanc

PUNGENT – GOOSEGOG – BONBON

This one makes an impression before you even get it to your lips with its amazing PUNGENT nose – a little green and gooseberry with a whack of oily unctuousness. There’s GOOSEGOG on the palate. What would you expect from Sauvignon Blanc? But it’s not sharp and unripe, but clean and full. There are subtle grassy notes too, unsurprisingly, but the balancing effect of subtle tropical or BONBON flavours are what pulls this baby into balance.

Here’s what the producers say: Look for zesty citrus with white stone fruits. Luscious, abundant ripe gooseberry aromas follow through onto the palate where it explodes with a full on citrus zing that is balanced by fantastic texture. The finish is clean, crisp and refreshing.

The wine is dominated by 50% Awatere Valley fruit, with vineyards located on both sides of the river in three sub-regions. Soils on the south bank are deep silt loams and fertile, while the north bank sites are stony, shallow silt loams, and lighter in structure. A dry and windy climate in this valley leads to small, thick-skinned berries with an emphasis on herbal intensity. Wairau Valley sites in the Rapaura district and the Southern Valleys make up much of the rest of the blend. These are warmer areas, and the soils vary between deep fertile loams, gravelly alluvium and clays. Fruit from these sites is often more tropical, with some ripe citrus characters. Vines are all managed with vertical shoot positioning, and pruned to leave balanced bud numbers and crop levels consistent with individual site capacity. Picking decisions are made entirely on flavour, skin-contact is minimised and cool fermentations with neutral yeast in stainless steel tanks preserve the crisp, fresh varietal nature of the fruit.