Established in 1994, Whitehaven Wine Company is a small, privately-owned winery located in Blenheim, New Zealand. Whitehaven winemaker Sam Smail is focused on producing brilliant, distinctive, award-winning premium Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir from the world renowned Marlborough region of New Zealand.
Located across the Wairau and Awatere Valleys of Marlborough, New Zealand, our Sauvignon Blanc vines are pruned to four canes each and trained along our standard trellis system, with vertical shoot positioning for maximum exposure to sunshine and fresh breezes. The canopy is carefully manicured to achieve open, healthy vines which produce balanced, full- flavored fruit during the growing season.
The Marlborough region of New Zealand experienced a somewhat challenging, but favorable growing season leading up to the 2009 harvest. Although there were periods of cool and damp weather in February, followed by some rain in March, warm weather quickly returned around mid-March. From that period on, a long drawn out Indian summer provided consistently warm days and cooler nights – particular to Marlborough and perfect for fruit maturation. Following a near perfect bud break and fruit set, Marlborough’s vineyards were on track for larger than average crops. However, growers and viticulturists were able to carefully manage their crops in an effort to concentrate on quality not quantity. Overall, the 2009 harvest produced wines with very ripe fruit flavors and well balanced acidity.
Winemaker: Sam Smail
The fruit was machine harvested in cool evening conditions, destemmed, must chilled and pressed immediately. The free run juice was settled to achieve a high degree of clarity. The clear juice was fermented in upright stainless steel fermenters with selected yeast strains such as PdM, QA23 and VL3 to preserve the inherent fruit flavors. Winemaking techniques and handling were reduced to promote the natural fruit flavor and intensity found in Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.
The Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc 2009 is a full-flavored medium bodied wine with vibrant peach, tropical fruit and gooseberry aromas and freshly cut herb undertones. A light straw-colored wine with lemon tones, this wine refreshes the palate with a crisp, clean, lingering finish. We recommend enjoying our 2009 Sauvignon Blanc while it is young, but the wine is capable of developing nicely over the next two years if carefully cellared.
Varietal Content: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Grape Source: Marlborough, New Zealand
Alcohol: 13.29%
Residual sugar: 0.42%
Titratable Acidity: 0.91
pH: 3.41
Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc pairs well with summer salads, poultry and shellfish, particularly suited to oysters or green shell mussels, as well as lobster and white fish.
