Saint Clair Origin Viognier, Hawkes Bay

Tasting Note

Pale gold colour. A supple and elegant wine displaying prominent stone fruit notes of peach, apricot and almond. Aromas of fragrant blossom flowers and apricot with spice and a long finish.

Producer Note

Neal and Judy Ibbotson were pioneers in the Marlborough wine industry, first planting vineyards in the valley in 1978 and then establishing Saint Clair Family Estate in 1994. They own 160 hectares of vineyard in ten different Marlborough locations chosen specifically for the attributes of their individual "terroir" and ability to produce top quality grapes. Neal Ibbotson combines his extensive expertise in viticultural with the talent of one of New Zealand's leading winemaking teams, led by Matt Thomson and Hamish Clark. From 1994 when wines from the first vintage all won medals including gold, the name Saint Clair has been synonymous with quality and its award-winning record continues today. Vintage 2015 saw very few spring frosts and a hot dry long summer and ripening period. Yields were moderate to low, with great flavour and concentration.

Vineyard

The grapes for this wine are grown in Saint Clair's vineyard in the Gimblett Gravels region of Hawkes Bay. The 10 year old vines are planted on the stoniest part of the vineyard. These stony soils are vigour moderating free draining soils, ideal for growing Viognier. The vines are trained using the VSP Guyot system there is reasonably high exposure as a result, reflected in the ripeness of the wine. The grapes are harvested in the cool of the night, preserving the varietal characteristics.

Winemaking

Free run juice was separated from the pressings, with the light pressings blended back in later. Stainless steel fermentation took place, using selected yeast strains to enhance the varietal characters. The wine was left on the yeast lees for a period to increase the texture.

Serving Suggestion

The perfect accompaniment to chargrilled chicken and pumpkin risotto.

Grape

Viognier 100%