Amisfield Fumé Sauvignon Blanc 2021

A vintage with low yield and small berries, led to a wonderfully concentrated yet elegant and restrained wine. White flowers, florals, lemongrass and kaffir lime are present on the nose. The palate shows great intensity and focus, with passionfruit and smokey oak coming to the fore. The textural nature of barrel fermentation and aging is framed by vibrant acidity allowing for great drive and length.

Sauvignon Blanc for our Fumé is planted within the gravelly Lochar soils of the lower terrace. These unforgiving soils grow vines that produce lower yields and smaller berries than the Sauvignon Blanc grown on the upper terrace.

Mild winter conditions resulted in early budburst and strong early season growth. Spring was warm with a distinct lack of wind allowing the canopies to grow into the first lift wire early. Pisa avoided the frosts that hit other areas within Central Otago. Fruitfulness was lower than average, reflecting the effects of the previous summer. Flowering began in early December before the winds arrived for the remainder of the month, disrupting some of the whites flowering. January began with a heavy rain event and the ensuing humid conditions resulted in some powdery mildew appearing. Fine weather through the remainder of the growing season allowed for beautiful ripening and whilst the crop was lower than usual, the quality of the fruit was very high. Judicious hand harvesting and sorting, resulted in very high quality fruit entering the winery.

Hand-harvested and whole bunch pressed, the juice settled in tank for 24 hours before being transferred to French oak barrels (20% new). The ferments were completed using the natural yeast present and the wines went through partial malolactic fermentation in spring. The wine was allowed to mature in oak for 16 months with very little disturbance before bottling.