(Download the Tasting Note) 
Winemaking: Marlborough’s weather at both bud burst and fruit set was ideal in the 2009 growing year, resulting in large potential crops. Mount Riley performed a great deal of work in its vineyards to reduce crop levels and ensure quality over quantity. Summer was slightly cooler than usual and this, together with Marlborough's typical warm days and cool nights, helped build excellent aromatics while retaining great natural acidity. From March right through to the end of our harvest at Mount Riley, Mother Nature was kind to us. We had virtually no rain and were able to pick when flavour and aromas were at their peak. Our 2009 Sauvignon Blanc is a blend from several vineyard sites throughout Marlborough, with over 90% from the Wairau Valley. Grapes were crushed and destemmed prior to pressing and fermentation was induced by the introduction of carefully selected yeast strains. We fermented in stainless steel at cool temperatures to preserve the lifted aromatics in this wine.
Colour: Pale straw with green hues.
Bouquet: Fresh aromas of passionfruit and citrus fruit are evident. Crushed herb, green capsicum, boxwood and mineral notes are in support.
Palate: Juicy and well balanced. Great intensity, refreshing acidity and a lingering finish.
Drink: Drinking well now, this wine can be enjoyed late until 2011. Great as an aperitif or match with seafood, light meats, pasta, salads or Asian cuisine.
Other Information
Grape varieties: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Origin: Marlborough, New Zealand
Alcohol: 13%
RS: 2.8g/l
Bottle Barcode: 9419663020002
Carton Barcode: 194196630200009
Closure: Screwcap
Availability: Widely available in New Zealand and overseas.
Vintage
2008
Colour
Light yellow/straw.
Bouquet
Pungent capsicum, gooseberry, grapefruit and stonefruit aromas are complimented by clean cut grass and mineral notes.
Palate
Inviting fresh citrus and tropical fruit flavours overlay mineral characters. Balanced structure with racy acidity, good texture a concentrated mid-palate and a crisp finish.
Drink
Drinking well now, this wine can be enjoyed late until 2010. Great as an aperitif or match with seafood, light meats, pasta, salads or Asian cuisine.
Winemaking
Marlborough’s warm spring in 2007 resulted in even fruit set and prosperous yields. We were excited by the quality of early picks and the 2008 vintage was talked up as the “dream vintage”. Mother Nature however had the last say as repeated and intense rain was forecast mid-vintage. Luckily, the low yields on Mount Riley’s 280 acres of company owned vineyard meant that most of our fruit was ripe for the picking prior to the rain. Being a self sufficient company with our own winery, vineyard equipment and staff - which we call “earth to glass winemaking” - meant that we were able to operate around the clock prior to the rains to get most of our fruit in , hence avoiding dilution and disease. A final quality control was implemented at blending - only Mount Riley’s finest parcels of Sauvignon Blanc were put under the Mount Riley label.
Our 2008 Sauvignon Blanc is a blend from several vineyard sites throughout the Marlborough region, with over 90% from the Wairau Valley. Grapes were crushed and destemmed prior to pressing and fermentation was induced by the introduction of carefully selected yeast strains. We fermented in stainless steel at cool temperatures to preserve the lifted aromatics in this wine.
Other Information
Grape varieties: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Origin: Marlborough, New Zealand
Alcohol: 13%
RS: 3.9g/l
TA: 7.2g/l
Bottle Barcode: 9419663020002
Carton Barcode: 194196630200009
Closure: Screwcap
Availability: Widely available in New Zealand and overseas.
(Download PDF viewer)
Vintage
2007
Colour
Light yellow/straw.
Bouquet
Pungent capsicum, gooseberry, grapefruit and stonefruit aromas are complimented by clean cut grass and mineral notes.
Palate
Inviting fresh citrus and tropical fruit flavours overlay mineral characters. Balanced structure with racy acidity, good texture a concentrated mid-palate and a crisp finish.
Drink
Drinking well now, this wine can be enjoyed late 2008. Great as an aperitif or match with seafood, light meats, pasta, salads or Asian cuisine.
Winemaking
Our 2006 growing season was dry and warm with no disease pressure. The warm days and cool evenings assisted the grapes to retain a perfect level of natural acidity. The grapes were harvested in pristine condition at optimal physiological ripeness. Our wine is a blend from several vineyard sites throughout the Marlborough region. Our grapes were crushed and destemmed prior to pressing and fermentation was induced by the introduction of carefully selected yeast strains. We fermented our fruit in stainless steel tanks at cool temperatures to preserve the lifted aromatics in this wine.
Other Information
Grape varieties: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Origin: Marlborough, New Zealand
Alcohol: 13%
RS: 3.1g/l
TA: 7.1g/l
Bottle Barcode: 9419663020002
Carton Barcode: 194196630200009
Closure: Screwcap
Availability: Widely available in New Zealand and overseas.
(Download PDF viewer)
Vintage
2006
Colour
Light yellow/straw.
Bouquet
Pungent capsicum, gooseberry, grapefruit and stonefruit aromas are complimented by clean cut grass and flinty notes.
Palate
Inviting fresh citrus and tropical fruit flavours overlay mineral characters. Balanced structure with racy acidity, a concentrated mid-palate and a long finish.
Drink
Drinking well now, this wine can be enjoyed late 2007. Great as an aperitif or match with seafood, light meats, pasta, salads or Asian cuisine.
Winemaking
Our 2006 growing season was unusually warm with cooler conditions as we approached harvest which allowed our wines to retain intense aromatics. Grapes were harvested in pristine condition at optimal physiological ripeness. Our wine is a blend from vineyards throughout the Marlborough region.
Our grapes were crushed and destemmed prior to pressing and fermentation was induced by the introduction of carefully selected yeast strains. We fermented our fruit in stainless steel tanks at cool temperatures to preserve the lifted aromatics in this wine.
Other Information
Grape varieties: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Origin: Marlborough, New Zealand
Alcohol: 13%
RS: 3g/l
TA: 7g/l
Bottle Barcode: 9419663020002
Carton Barcode: 194196630200009
Closure: Screwcap
Availability: Widely available in New Zealand and overseas.
(Download PDF viewer)
Vintage
2005
Colour
Pale lemon/straw.
Bouquet
Powerfully aromatic with lime, lychee, gooseberry & capsicum notes.
Palate
Full flavoured and finely balanced. Great concentration & complexity with good length and a clean crisp finish.
Drink
Drinking well now, this wine will continue to drink well up to early 2007. Great as an aperitif or with seafood, light meats & Asian cuisine.
Winemaking
A long, cool ripening period has enriched the pungent aromatics and intense flavours of this wine. The grapes were cropped at low levels and harvested in pristine condition at optimum physiological ripeness from a number of different sites throughout the Wairau Valley of Marlborough. The grapes were fermented at cool temperatures in stainless steel to preserve the natural fruit characters. Several different strains of cultured yeast were used with a portion utilising indigenous yeast to add complexity. The wine was held on lees for a short period of 6 weeks prior to bottling.
Other Information
Grape varieties: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Origin: Marlborough, New Zealand
Alcohol: 13.5%
RS: 3g/l
TA: 7g/l
Bottle Barcode: 9419663020002
Carton Barcode: 194196630200009
Closure: Screwcap
Availability: Widely available in New Zealand and overseas.
