Country: New Zealand Region: Marlborough Varietal: Small Parcel 100% Sauvignon Blanc Vintage: 2017 Colour: White Style:Dry Producer: Giesen Estate At Giesen wines, they believe that its people that make wine come to life. The Giesen brothers behind the winery have been making wine for over 30 years with the goal of ‘transporting the drinking on a journey of taste sensation’. When the Giesen brothers moved to New Zealand from Germany, they were originally planning on starting a stone company, similar to their family business back in Germany. Luckily for us, they brought land just outside of Christchurch and planted vines instead. Theo and Alex bought bare land, at Burnham just south of Christchurch and set about planting vines to develop a cool climate vineyard. They chose the location for its proximity to research just down the road in Lincoln considering which cool climate vines could grow best in New Zealand’s fledging wine industry. Realising they needed winemaking finesse for the venture to succeed, the pair called home and suggested younger brother Marcel train as a winemaker. With his viticulture and oenology qualifications in hand, Marcel arrived in New Zealand in 1983. Marcel took on the mantle of winemaker for Giesen Wines inaugural vintage in 1984 and that is the only role the brothers have ever defined. Aside from wine-making, each of the three of them works across the breadth of the business. This stems from the early days the trio did everything from planting the vines, tending the vineyard, making and bottling the wine. For the first two years – while they waited for their vines to mature – the Giesen brothers had to purchase grapes. The first vintage of Giesen and every subsequent one they have made Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. It is this delicious varietal that wine drinkers throughout the world have fallen in love with, making the Giesen name recognised the world over. Tasting Notes Single vineyard Sauvignon Blanc from the Awatere Valley. Pale straw in colour, bright and fresh with strong citrus, passion fruit with underlying capsicum and herbal notes. The palate has great concentration, a lovely crisp acidity and an explosion of flavour, as well as a textural element that really sets this wine apart.