Cooler flowering conditions resulted in modest, but balanced yields and sporadic rain events throughout the growing season gave our viticultural team plenty to think about! This was followed by a very welcome ‘indian summer’ which allowed extended, but slow ripening and great flavour development on the vine. With rigorous blending and only selecting superior parcels we were able to ensure our principles of high quality and capture those enticing Marlborough flavours that create Mount Riley’s classic and highly sought-after Estate Sauvignon Blanc.
Our 2023 Sauvignon Blanc is a blend from multiple vineyard sites throughout Marlborough, with a portion from the Awatere Valley and the balance from the Wairau Valley. Grapes were crushed and destemmed prior to pressing and fermentation was induced by the introduction of carefully selected yeast strains. We fermented in stainless steel at cool temperatures to preserve the lifted aromatics in this wine.