Owned by the Neylon family, Rapaura Springs has an astonishing track record of Trophies and top points for its wines. The family started their farming career with mussels and apples but found vines much more rewarding and since making this move haven’t looked back. Their goal is to enhance the environment around them through sustainable vineyard and winemaking practices that will leave a natural legacy for future generations. Rapaura Springs have a philosophy of minimum intervention, and all vineyards are carefully managed under strict Sustainable Wine Growing New Zealand standards. They let Marlborough’s land, climate and water do the hard work, then handcraft superb wines at the state of the art winery, leaving the vineyards to tell their own story, with just a little nudge in the right direction from experienced viticulture and winemaking teams. The result is a selection of focused, terroir-driven Sauvignon Blancs and Pinot Noirs with outstanding varietal expression.
The Rapaura Springs Reserve Sauvignon Blanc is a selection of the best parcels from the harvest, resulting in a sub-regional blend of wines. It has been made to showcase the diversity of the flavours produced in Marlborough wine. The Sauvignon Blanc for this wine is grown in the Dillons Point and lower Wairau sub-regions, known for expressive aromatics and ripe fruit flavour. We believe these sites grow the best Sauvignon Blanc in Marlborough.
The winery is the only facility in this sub-region, meaning our grapes are immediately pressed after harvest, minimising skin contact. This allows the winery to capture all the expressive aromatics and fruit flavour, without bitter phenolics. After pressing, the juice was settled and then cool fermented in stainless steel to retain the vibrant flavours and aromas. We use a variety of yeast strains to provide palate weight and complexity.
The 2021 vintage was one of the earliest and shortest on record. The growing season was the third in a series of drought vintages, the stress on the vines was compounded by a huge wind run. The combination of some early frost events and a poor flowering resulted in lower yields and smaller bunches than usual. This, combined with the dry conditions, has meant that disease levels are incredibly low this year, resulting in better flavours and pristine fruit with good concentration, good tannin and good colour. We’re thrilled with the concentration and intensity of flavour in our 2021 wines, this vintage will be one to remember.
This wine was created to redefine the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc style. A real crowd pleaser, it is loved for its juicy, ripe flavours and restrained acidity. Each glass is brimming with succulent flavours of passionfruit, tropical fruit and black currant. The fruit flavour is balanced with crisp acidity and a distinct salty minerality, which combine to create a mouth-watering finish.
This wine is versatile and would pair well to a wide range of white meat and seafood dishes. Try with your favourite shellfish meal, creamy rock oysters or a Chicken Enchilada.
Best served at 10-12°C
Gold, China Wine & Spirits
Marlborough, New Zealand
100% Sauvignon Blanc
Screwcap
13.5%
Yes
Yes
