Description

ABOUT THE PRODUCER:
Lake Chalice was established in 1989 with a vision of producing internationally recognised wines from the heart of the Marlborough region. New Zealand’s native falcon, the ‘Kārearea’, is proudly displayed on every bottle of Lake Chalice wine. Kārearea favour the remote mountains and foothills of the upper Awatere and Wairau Valleys and these valleys are home to Lake Chalice’s three unique vineyard sites. Each vineyard has a diverse microclimate, biodiversity and terroir which are seamlessly translated into multi award winning wines by talented winemaker Chloe Gabrielsen. Taking a boutique approach, she handcrafts parcels of fruit from single vineyards into elegant, aromatic, fruit driven wines and has garnered a global reputation of outstanding quality. Certified ‘Sustainable Winegrower of New Zealand’.

THE VINTAGE:
2021 delivered a high quality crop but a reduced quantity due to a cooler spring and late spring frosts, which affected some varieties. Harvest took place earlier than the previous year. The lower yield produced smaller bunches of fruit with greatly increased concentration and intensity of flavour, resulting in wines of exceptional quality.

ABOUT THE VINEYARD:
The fruit for this wine is harvested from the Lower Wairau region of Marlborough. The eastern flood plain soils are nutrient-rich silty loam, renowned for delivering Marlborough’s iconic tropical flavoured Sauvignon Blanc. In order to capture the maximum expression of regional characteristics, the pruning, irrigation and canopy management is dictated by each variety and by each unique block of land.

THE WINEMAKING PROCESS:
The grapes were pressed immediately after harvesting in order to minimise skin contact. The juice was settled and cool fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks with Sauvignon Blanc yeasts to encourage maximum thiol characters. Thiols are the compounds naturally found on the Sauvignon Blanc grapes which impart Marlborough’s signature tropical notes.

TASTING NOTE:
The elegant and flinty bouquet is complemented by distinct aromas of passionfruit, blackcurrant leaf and zesty grapefruit. Refreshing tropical characters are echoed on the palate, underpinned by a salty minerality and a lingering, fruity finish.

GRAPE VARIETY:
Sauvignon Blanc 100%.