Whitehaven 'Greg' Single Vineyard Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2022

A small series of wines are handcrafted from outstanding parcels of fruit identified by our winemakers as exhibiting exceptional varietal character. This is the Whitehaven ‘Greg’ single vineyard series handcrafted in honour of Whitehaven’s founder Greg White.

This Sauvignon Blanc is an excellent expression of the Awatere Vly

Palate: Complex and textured with flavours of fresh green herbs, green pepper, and layers of white peach, boxwood, and a subtle suggestion of sea salt. The palate is concentrated yet elegant and finishes with lingering flavours, refreshing acidity and punchy minerality.

TASTING NOTE Colour / Appearance: Pale lemon-green, with bright clarity.

Aroma / Bouquet: Our 2021 Greg Sauvignon Blanc offers a refined, pure, and distinctive expression of the Awatere Valley sub region. It has fresh and lifted aromas of green-gage plums, tomato leaf, grapefruit, gentle herbaceous notes, and hints of wet river stones.

Palate: Complex and textured with flavours of fresh green herbs, green pepper, and layers of white peach, boxwood, and a subtle suggestion of sea salt. The palate is concentrated yet elegant and finishes with lingering flavours, refreshing acidity and punchy minerality.

Cellaring: We recommend drinking our 2021 Greg Sauvignon Blanc while it is young and fresh, but the wine can develop nicely beyond five years if carefully cellared.

Food Match: A perfect accompaniment to fresh seafood, summer salads, grilled herbed chicken, and creamy goat cheese.

Serve: Lightly chilled.

The ‘Greg’ range is dedicated to the memory of our founder Greg White, 1952-2007.

WINE ANALYSIS Alcohol: 13.5 Residual Sugar: 2.6 g/L Titratable Acidity: 7.4 g/L pH: 3.18

Vegan Friendly Wine

VITICULTURE Harvest Date: 20th March 2021

Varieties: 100% Sauvignon Blanc, MS clone.

Grape Growers: The Peter family, Alton Downs Vineyard, Awatere Valley.

Climate: Vintage 2021 will be remembered as a season of two halves. The early part of the growing season was marked by two frost events that affected much of the region. Following that, occasionally cool and wet weather persisted through flowering, resulting in fewer berries setting per bunch and further reducing yields. However, midway through the season, growers were rewarded with long, warm, sun-drenched days and crisp, cool nights. These ideal conditions allowed for mature, layered flavour development coupled with the region’s signature crisp, energetic structure. Harvest was early and well-paced, with clean, bright fruit coming into the cellar.

Grape Growing: We are proud to source the fruit for this wine from a single vineyard in Awatere valley. Vines are pruned to between two and three canes on a vertical shoot positioned trellis. Shoot thinning, leaf plucking, and trimming are used to achieve balanced vines, a healthy canopy and clean fruit. Minimal crop thinning was required in 2021 due to naturally low crops.

Winemaking: Fruit from Alton Downs Vineyard was machine harvested during the cool evening and pressed immediately with minimal skin contact. After cold settling, the clear juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks at 12°C – 16°C with selected yeast strains to preserve pure sub regional characters and varietal flavours. Wine sat on light yeast lees in tank for up to 2 months before bottling.

The ‘Greg’ range is dedicated to the memory of our founder Greg White, 1952-2007.