Pegasus Bay Estate Waipara Valley Sauvignon Semillon 2018

Pegasus Bay Estate Waipara Valley Sauvignon Semillon 2018French oak Peach & lemon Toffee Strong acid backbone "Totally captivating boutquet pungent, highly scented and evocative. Aromas and palate flavours of sweet hay and peach, waxy lemon peel and baked apple, nettles and gooseberries. Silty, chalky soil flavours, naturally higher acidity and a creamy texture combine to add a lush palate feel, youthful vibrancy and core of flavour. A totally delicious wine I wish more poepole could discover this fantastic

• French oak
• Peach & lemon
• Toffee
• Strong acid backbone

"Totally captivating boutquet-pungent, highly scented and evocative. Aromas and palate flavours of sweet hay and peach, waxy lemon peel and baked apple, nettles and gooseberries. Silty, chalky soil flavours, naturally higher acidity and a creamy texture combine to add a lush palate feel, youthful vibrancy and core of flavour. A totally delicious wine - I wish more poepole could discover this fantastic example. Best drinking from today and through 2026" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, World of Wine (Summer 20/21), Nov 2020

"Bright, pale yellow with some depth and a green-gold hue, slightly lighter on the rim. The nose is full, tightly packed with nuances of mango, passionfruit, citrus zest and blossoms, along with struck match and flinty minerals. Medium-bodied, concentrated aromas of pink grapefruit and its peels lead the palate, along with tropical fruit, spices, barrel flint and a hint of toffee linger to a very long, sustained finish. The flavours are complex and concentrated, build up by a smooth flow from sur lie and richness from barrel fermentation; along with searing acidity provides a strong backbone, great energy and longevity. This is a rich and complex Sauvignon Blanc Semillon blend with a strong acid backbone and length" Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Reviews, Jan 2021

"Rich, gutsy and quite complex blended white that's gently aromatic with melon, passionfruit, lime and struck flint and fireworks reductive character. A combination of firm acidity and fine tannins give the wine backbone and a drying finish" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Apr 2020

The vineyard is located within the Waipara Valley of North Canterbury, on free draining, north facing terraces carved out of New Zealand’s Southern Alps by an ice-age glacier. It benefits from being in the lee of the Teviotdale Range, giving maximum protection from the Pacific’s easterly breezes and thus creating a unique mesoclimate. The vines are over 30 years old, with a large proportion planted on their own roots. The soil is free draining and of low fertility, resulting in naturally reduced vine vigour. This produces low yields of optimally ripened, high quality, flavourful grapes, which fully express the qualities of this unique terroir. The vineyard has warm days, but the nights are amongst the coolest in the Waipara Valley, drawing out the ripening period of the grapes, while still retaining good natural acidity.

Settled weather during December provided optimal conditions for flowering. A very hot summer then enabled the grapes to ripen beautifully. Free draining stony soil helped mitigate the effects of some late summer rain, and the ensuing dry autumn meant the fruit was able to be picked in excellent condition.

This is a unique expression of a traditional white Bordeaux blend using approximately 70% Sauvignon Blanc & 30% Semillon. Both varieties were picked in stages, timing each harvest to optimise the grapes’ range of natural flavours. These varieties were fermented separately, most of the Sauvignon in stainless steel to retain the pure fruit character (with approx. one third on skins) and all the Semillon in oak puncheons to add texture. A small percentage of the Sauvignon Blanc was also matured in new French barrels to give extra length and complexity. Both varieties were aged on their natural deposits of yeast lees (sur lie) for approximately 10 mths, prior to blending. Once bottled, the wine was left to age for another year before release, allowing it to integrate further.