Established in 1994, Whitehaven Wine Company is a small, privately-owned winery located in Blenheim, New Zealand. Whitehaven winemaker Simon Waghorn 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 2006 growing season was characterized by a warm dry summer, followed by a cool autumn which maintained the flavor intensity of the fruit. The grapes were harvested from March 31st to April 28th.
Winemaker: Simon Waghorn
The fruit was machine harvested on flavor criteria in cool evening conditions, destemmed and lightly pressed with no skin contact. The free run juice was cold settled to achieve a high degree of clarity. The clear juice was fermented for 21 days at very low temperatures with selected yeast strains such as Vin7, QA23 and VL3, to preserve the inherent fruit flavors. The juice was aged on light yeast lees post fermentation for three months to give the wine a slightly rounder mouthfeel. A very small amount of residual sugar was retained to balance the crisp natural acidity inherent in the region’s Sauvignon Blanc.
The Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc 2006 is a full-flavored medium bodied wine with vibrant currant-leaf and gooseberry aromas, some herbaceous nuances, and a hint of ripe citrus. A pale straw-colored wine with lemon-lime tones, this wine refreshes the palate with a crisp, clean, lingering finish. We recommend drinking our 2006 Sauvignon Blanc while it is young and fresh, but the wine is capable of developing nicely over the next three years if carefully cellared.
Varietal Content: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Grape Source: Wairau and Awatere Valleys Marlborough, New Zealand
Alcohol: 13%
Residual sugar: 0.45%
Titratable Acidity: 8
pH: 3.24
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.