Hans Herzog Estate - Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Grande Duchesse

Sauvignon Blanc "Grande Duchesse" 2019

Regular price $89.00 Sale

9Think Sauvignon Blanc greatness of a white Grand Cru Bordeaux! Truly stunning and heart stopping. From the lowest yield, one barrel of handpicked goodness. Rich, decadent complexity with a never-ending finish. A truly brilliant drinking experience for a gem with a long-life span. One for the bucket list. Uncompromising perfection.

Vintage 2019+

A beautiful season ended in a long ‘Indian’ summer. Four rows interspersed with Semillon on sandy gravelly soils broken up by a large stony ridge were chosen for the Grande Duchesse. There, the vines yield little but very luscious grapes, perfect for this stately wine. We picked the grapes at a tiny yield of 700g of their 20-year-old vines a few days later than our ‘sur lie’, ensuing luscious fruit. The succulent healthy grapes were carefully picked into small crates and only a few minutes later still intact and fresh with Hans in the winery.

Hans' Comments+

Such purity in the fruit deserved a long cold maceration to extract the wonderful flavours. Gently pressed into a new 500lit French oak puncheon the must embarked on a natural wild yeast ferment and secondary fermentation. The young wine lived on its pure lees with regular stirring to provide silkiness, complexity and depth for two years to mature and evolve. We bottled this nectar without cold stabilization or fining and only light filtration to retain the beautiful aromas. A low organic sulphur addition should help protect its anticipated long life. Natural sediments may show but do not impact on the high quality of this natural wine.

Tasting Notes+

A complex bouquet of white flowers, white peach, nectarine, pink grapefruit and silky tannins unfold beautifully in the glass. A full-bodied, well-balanced palate with a touch of wild honey a dap of ginger and green apple notes culminate in a long, lingering finish. Like a well-crafted Graves this wine has class and poise.

Technical Data
+
Varieties 85% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Semillon
Rootstock RG, 101-14
Vine Planted 1996 (grafted 2004)
Soil Shallow (<45 cm) stony soil, well drained, developed from stony alluvium. Not one row shows the same soil type
Planting Density 5,500 vines/ha
Yield 3t/ha
Alcohol 14%
Residual Sugar <1g/L
Ageing Potential >10 years
Bottles Produced 542
Food Matching Suggestions+

Very versatile. One of the white wines with matches practically everything.

Industry Reviews+

James Suckling - 94 points

'This is a selection from a gravelly part of the vineyards with hints of oak. It’s full-bodied with dried apples and peaches. Fermented in oak. Bitter lemon at the end. About 10% semillon. From organically grown grapes. Drink now.'