2016 TWR Sauvignon Blanc

TWR

New Zealand / Marlborough / TWR

This 2016 Sauvignon Blanc is a blend from two special Marlborough vineyards in two different sub- regions. One vineyard is in the upper Awatere Valley, and the second is Jason and Anna Flowerday's certified organic, home block vines in Renwick (Wairau Valley). The growing conditions in the Awatere Valley are characterised by cooler temperatures and slower ripening than in the Wairau, which is important for flavour development and ripe acidity. The Te Whare Ra home block experiences the warmer days of the Wairau Valley and a bigger diurnal range, giving wines of great texture and fleshiness.
The 2016 release shows distinctive Awatere characters of guava, white currant and elderflower coupled with lovely ripe tropicals and hints of basil and lime from the Wairau fruit. These follow through to the palate, which is fine and soft with vibrant, fleshy fruit and great texture which are both balanced by a ripe, juicy acidity and lingering minerality.

February, 2017

Campbell Mattinson

The Wine Front

93 points

It’s a sauvignon blanc with a bit of presence. Just enough. It tastes of lemongrass, citrus and passionfruit pulp, whispers of woodsmoke and gravel adding gravity. It’s not heavy but it has some weight, some purpose. Its textural qualities almost go without saying. It’s good.

Standard Bottle Out of Stock

About TWR

Te Whare Ra (TWR) is a small vineyard and winery located in the Marlborough sub-region of Renwick. The 11Ha vineyard was first planted in 1979 and since 2003 has been owned by winemakers Anna and Jason Flowerday. Yields are kept low, the vineyard is managed with a combination of organic and biodynamic practices and all the fruit is handpicked and hand-sorted.  The wines are made with minimal intervention in a small winery which has been specifically set up for small-batch winemaking.  The aromatic wines have carved out a reputation for TWR as a member of New Zealand’s elite, while the improbably good Syrah and Pinot Noir are opening people’s eyes to Marlborough’s potential for red wines of distinction.
Biodynamic producer, certified organic
http://naturalwine.org.nz/

About

Anna Flowerday hails from McLaren Vale and kicked off her career there amid a thoroughly talented pack of young winemakers in the mid-1990s. She worked for Hardys for seven years all up, culminating in an aromatically formative stint at Leasingham in Clare Valley. It was during her time at Hardys that she met and fell in love with Jason Flowerday, a third-generation viticulturalist from Marlborough. Eventually they struck out together and in 2003 bought Te Whare Ra, home to one of the oldest vineyards in Marlborough, originally planted in 1979. Together they manage the estate with a combination of organic and biodynamic practices and have cemented this region's reputation not only as an impeccable source of aromatic whites but also as a force to be reckoned with for both Pinot Noir and Syrah.