Pegasus Bay Sauvignon Semillon 2017
"...offering lovely yellow plum, mirabelle and jasmine scents that gain intensity...dried orange rind and mandarin...Excellent." Neal Martin
| Winemaker | Matthew Donaldson |
|---|---|
| Organic | No |
| SKU | 300163 |
| ABV | 13.70% |
Pegasus Bay's Sauvignon/Sémillon is a unique expression of a traditional white Bordeaux blend using approximately 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Semillon grown in the Waipara Valley, Canterbury.
The French often blend a small portion of Sémillon into a Sauvignon Blanc to add richness, complexity and longevity. The varieties were fermented separately; the Sauvignon Blanc in stainless steel to retain the pure fruit character and the Semillon in oak barrels to add texture, and 20% of the overall wine was matured in new French barrels to give extra complexity.
Pegasus Bay is a family-run winery, one of Canterburys top estates and rated in New Zealands Top 5 producers by Robert Parker. The Donaldson family have been seriously involved in wine since the early 1970s and were pioneers of local grape growing and wine making.
Pegasus Bay is an accredited member of the NZWG sustainable viticulture program and are firm believers of using natural methods to combat pests and diseases rather than the application of unnecessary pesticides and herbicides.
Stuart Knox 92. Off on a very different tack here, honeyed fruits and struck flint on the nose. The palate shows lots of savoury elements, broken stones, crushed rosemary and then candied lime zest. It has a weight and warmth that makes you take note. Good length and drive, with a fine whip of acid to clean up the finish.
Michael Cooper 5★ The distinctive North Canterbury wine has loads of personality. From vines over 30 years old, it is fragrant and fullbodied, with tropical-fruit flavours, a subtle seasoning of oak and a tightly structured, lasting finish.
Mark Henderson. Powerfully expressive nose of tropical fruit, bonfire smoke, citrus, honey musk and peapod. Lots going on here. Delightful creaminess to the texture. A bittersweet almond/apricot kernel note, at first pungent, subsumes into the wine adding a counterpoint to the almost honeyed richness. Fascinatingly complex example that shows its raciness with aeration.
Citrus fruit, greengage, gooseberry and passionfruit aromatics, with a hint of freshly crushed thyme. The Semillon fills the mouth, providing good fruit weight and richness to balance the vibrancy and herbaceousness of the Sauvignon Blanc. Creaminess and body comes courtesy of lees ageing, with crisp minerality on the finish.