Sauvignon Blanc 2021
HUGHES VINEYARD
The result is driven by ripe fruit and exotic aromatics, with structure and toasty character owing to the selection of new and older French Oak barrels. Food friendly and able to be cellared for later enjoyment.
Sauvignon Blanc 2021
HUGHES VINEYARD
This wine was produced with texture and richness in mind, making it a warmer and rounder style of Sauvignon Blanc for Niagara. Two clones planted adjacent to one another were selected for complexity, and both barrel fermented and cool stainless steel tank fermented portions were blended to further enhance the profile.
The result is driven by ripe fruit and exotic aromatics, with structure and toasty character owing to the selection of new and older French Oak barrels. Food friendly and able to be cellared for later enjoyment.
SENSORY PROFILE
Light gold in colour, the nose presents with intense grapefruit, peach, pear, and jasmine, as well as toasted almond and vanilla aromas and just a slight greenness that will remind you it is Sauvignon Blanc. Medium bodied on the palate, it is very round, and has a long and complex finish with both fruit and barrel notes.
FOOD PAIRINGS
The weight and warmth of this wine will pair nicely with heavier white meat such as game birds or pork, and with creamy sauces and savoury vegetables such as asparagus, beans, or peas.
CELLARING POTENTIAL
This wine is ready to consume on release, but will improve and gain complexity with time in bottle until at least 2025.
VINTAGE
The 2021 vintage started with relatively good vine and bud health from a small crop and mild winter. Summer temperatures were among the hottest on record and conditions were optimal for flowering and fruit set.
In August, what appeared to be an early and ripe vintage stalled due to drought. This was followed by record rains in September and October resulting in a rapid increase in cluster weight and dilution of berry contents.
Where harvest was able to be delayed until adequate ripening, most varieties are showing good fruit character early with delicate aromatic white varieties and fruit driven red varieties.
WINE DATA
Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Alcohol: 12.4%
Residual Sugar: 0.4 g/L
Titratable Acidity: 5.7 g/L
pH: 3.19
Bottling Date: 2022-03-17
Production: 140 cases
VINEYARD AND HARVEST DATA
Appellation: Lincoln Lakeshore
Site: Hughes Vineyard
Soil: Jeddo clay loam
Clones: 530 (40%) and 297 (60%)
Rootstock: 3309
Vine Age: 2011 planting
Harvest Date: 2021-09-21
Yield: 4.8 T/ac
VINIFICATION
Both clones were harvested on the same day, pressed separately, and the juice settled at cold temperatures. Clarified juice was racked to a combination of stainless steel tank and barrels and fermented to dryness with various selected yeasts.
The final blend was established by barrel selection and is comprised of 37% new French Oak puncheon, 17% neutral French Oak barrique, and 46% stainless steel tank fermented wine.
The barrel portion was aged on its full lees for just over five months before being blended with the tank portion, and the wine was gently fined and clarified using only bentonite (no allergens/non-vegan fining agents were used), followed by filtration prior to bottling.
REVIEWS
“Chives and dill, lime zest and lemon, juicy, succulent palate, good length. A well made example. taut, properly tart and fresh. Tasted blind at the NWAC awards June 2022.” 90 points – John Szabo, MS
“Lovely weight here: citrus and some fine spices, with nice freshness and a slight stony minerality on the finish.” 90 points – Jamie Goode, National Wine Awards of Canada 2022 Judge
“A lovely single vineyard Sauvignon Blanc with pop and character, polished oak profile and tremendous complexity. The nose is intriguing with a nice blend of zesty citrus, green apple, subtle vanilla and a hint of fresh cut herbs like dill, mint and chives. The palate is well structured with flamboyant acidity featuring key lime, grapefruit, quince and passionfruit, and a well-rounded mid-palate with a generous but judicious oak influence, which brings more texture than expected. The most unexpected part of this wine is the finish, which is long and complex with multiple layers of flowers, oak spice and minerality, leaving a nice salty touch at the very end. Very well done for $28.” 91 points – Carl’s Wine Club
“It has a lifted, spicy entry with grapefruit, passion fruit, lemon tart, spiced apple, pear, and light summer herbs. It has a creamy texture and plenty of zip to keep the grapefruit, pear, guava, and gooseberries perky and fresh. There’s an intriguing smoky/flinty note on the tangy and long finish. Stylistic savvy here that highlights the vineyard.” 92 points – Rick Vansickle, Wines in Niagara
“[A] very fresh nose, with high intensity aromas of pink grapefruit, bosc pear, nectarine, lemongrass, green pea, almond, toast, and a subtle touch of vanilla, that all combine to give great complexity. On the palate, things are bone dry (0.4 g/L) and medium bodied overall, but also quite substantial for a Niagara Sauvignon Blanc. There’s a vibrant acidity that cuts through the layers of richness and carries the complex flavours over a lengthy finish. I especially love the way it seamlessly balances the freshness of the tank aged portion with the more complex nature of those done in barrel.” Jacob Gigliotti, IG: @thewine_wiz
“Sauvignon Blanc is one of the rights of passage for summer, but it also can be found on the table all year long. For those who love the versions with citrus in all its forms, this is the bottle for you. Pure grapefruit from the outside to the inside … think biting into a grapefruit without peeling it. It’s totally intense.” (***½+) Michael Pinkus in the Parry Sound Beacon Star, IG: @thegrapeguy