2010, the year of the sav?
Claudine Earley
VILLA Maria is already celebrating a big win, the French have made an alliance with us to get into the action, and the sav meisters at Saint Clair have bottled it as a bubbly.
Villa Maria recently won the trophy for Sauvignon Blanc at the Royal Perth Wine Show with the very affordable Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc 2010 ($15). Alastair Maling, Villa’s chief winemaker, reckons the win indicates the quality of the vintage. “This is an award that we’ve been striving for and to achieve this from our Private Bin wine reinforces our belief in the quality of the 2010 vintage in Marlborough and New Zealand.”
Pascal Jolivet, a producer from Sancerre, one of France’s prime sav blanc growing regions, fell in love with Hawke’s Bay sav when he met it in London. He formed an alliance with John Hancock of Trinity Hill to produce a wine that would be the best of both old and new worlds, showcasing NZ fruit but using French winemaking techniques such as extended time on lees to enhance texture.
The child of this coupling is Metis 2008 ($25). The wine’s namesake is the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom and cunning. Metis was devoured by her lover Zeus when he feared a prophecy that their offspring would be more powerful than him. This scary child was Athena, who sprung from his head fully grown, clad in armour and primed to become patron goddess of Athens.
Like the goddess, the wine Metis is a bit tricky. Don’t expect anything like the classic Marlborough sav, for the Hawke’s Bay fruit are less herbaceous and more in line with the Sancerre style’s flinty minerality.
Pascal Jolivet is happy with the creation. “We have worked hard to create a wine that has combined the very best of New Zealand and France and I feel that Metis is a style that will appeal to those who demand subtlety, complexity and finesse.” Metis was designed for the UK market and released there last week but is available in NZ online through Trinity Hill’s website.
Wine of the week: A little glass of sunshine is Saint Clair Vicar’s Choice 2010 Sauvignon Blanc Bubbles ($16). Aromas of passionfruit pips and melon, off-dry flavours of toffee apple and passionfruit and impressive length make this the ideal thirst quencher and tongue loosener.
Villa Maria recently won the trophy for Sauvignon Blanc at the Royal Perth Wine Show with the very affordable Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc 2010 ($15). Alastair Maling, Villa’s chief winemaker, reckons the win indicates the quality of the vintage. “This is an award that we’ve been striving for and to achieve this from our Private Bin wine reinforces our belief in the quality of the 2010 vintage in Marlborough and New Zealand.”
Pascal Jolivet, a producer from Sancerre, one of France’s prime sav blanc growing regions, fell in love with Hawke’s Bay sav when he met it in London. He formed an alliance with John Hancock of Trinity Hill to produce a wine that would be the best of both old and new worlds, showcasing NZ fruit but using French winemaking techniques such as extended time on lees to enhance texture.
The child of this coupling is Metis 2008 ($25). The wine’s namesake is the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom and cunning. Metis was devoured by her lover Zeus when he feared a prophecy that their offspring would be more powerful than him. This scary child was Athena, who sprung from his head fully grown, clad in armour and primed to become patron goddess of Athens.
Like the goddess, the wine Metis is a bit tricky. Don’t expect anything like the classic Marlborough sav, for the Hawke’s Bay fruit are less herbaceous and more in line with the Sancerre style’s flinty minerality.
Pascal Jolivet is happy with the creation. “We have worked hard to create a wine that has combined the very best of New Zealand and France and I feel that Metis is a style that will appeal to those who demand subtlety, complexity and finesse.” Metis was designed for the UK market and released there last week but is available in NZ online through Trinity Hill’s website.
Wine of the week: A little glass of sunshine is Saint Clair Vicar’s Choice 2010 Sauvignon Blanc Bubbles ($16). Aromas of passionfruit pips and melon, off-dry flavours of toffee apple and passionfruit and impressive length make this the ideal thirst quencher and tongue loosener.
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