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 Sauvignon
Blanc is one of our favorite wines, both to drink and to
make. It is delicious with a variety of different foods or
by itself as a refreshing aperitif or cocktail wine. When
well made the flavors are bright and fresh with a crisp,
clean finish. We make our Sauvignon Blanc in and from the
Marlborough region of New Zealand. In our opinion the soil
and climate there is essentially perfect to grow rich,
distinctive, full flavored Sauvignon Blanc. “Sauvy” as it’s
usually referred to in New Zealand is unique and special
when grown in this specific place.
Marlborough is in the northwestern tip of the south island
of New Zealand, so the temperatures are cool, due to the
coastal influence, but relatively dry throughout the growing
season. The calcium rich soils when matched with this
climate create a long, even growing season that help to
develop intense flavors. We harvest the grapes for our Gusto
Sauvignon Blanc from 2 different vineyards…one is a very
cool location and by the end of the summer (that’s March in
New Zealand) the grapes still have a low sugar content and
high levels of acidity, the flavors are mature but not
overly sweet, this vineyard adds the fresh herb and lime
flavors and brightness to the final blend.
The second vineyard gets a bit warmer throughout the summer
and we allow the sugar levels to get much higher before
picking. This block brings the more tropical aromas and
flavors to the blend and adds the full body and richness to
the wine. We ferment both lots of grapes in stainless steel
tanks kept at 58 to 60 degrees, so the fermentation is very
slow to capture and preserve all the flavors of the
vineyards.
Once the fermentations are complete we allow the wine to age
on its lees for a number of months then our winemaker Guy
Davis works on trials to establish the perfect blend that
will highlight all the best features of each vineyard and
create a final wine with amazing complexity and perfect
balance. This 2001 is just that… a lively, beautifully
aromatic wine with aromas and flavors of fresh herbs,
citrus, passion fruit and melons showing great balance of
richness and crispness and a lush lingering finish. Only 700
cases were produced.
A recent review we
received for our Gusto Luma Sauvignon Blanc:
Beverage Testing
Institute
Bright straw
hue. Intensely herbaceous, pungent gooseberry nose. A lean
entry leads to a ripe, medium-bodied palate with generous
flavors and clean acidity. A rich, forceful Marlborough
style. Drink now.
RATED: 89 points (Highly Recommended)
Last month “Restaurant Wine News”
rated our Gusto Sauvignon Blanc 5 stars out of 5 possible.
Give it a try and tell us what you rate it!
The Washington Post
recently reviewed the 2000
Gusto Luma and
had this to say about it. |
