Country: New Zealand Region: Marlborough Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc Vintage: 2019 Colour: White Style: Dry Producer: Tinpot Hut Estate Description: Tinpot Hut wines are made primarily from fruit grown on winemaker Fiona Turner's vineyard in Blind River... Fiona, who has worked with Matt Thomson for a number of years, supplements her own grapes with fruit from other growers in Marlborough and Hawkes Bay. The tinpot hut that gave its name to Fiona's wines is an old mustering hut in the remote hills between the Wairau and Awatere Valleys. The huts were used as a base for musterers as they rounded up the sheep that had been in the hills from spring to autumn. The name links Marlborough's past as a sheep farming centre with its current state as one of the world's most dynamic wine regions. Vineyards Pinot Noir grapes were sourced from well-tended, low yielding vineyards in the Omaka Valley and Blind River regions in Marlborough. Vintage information The 2019 growing season was characterised by an early dry spring followed by typical cool nights and warm days in late summer and into the early autumn. This allowed for full ripeness with wonderful fruit intensity. Vinification The fruit was picked at optimum ripeness and carefully transported to the winery for de-stemming and chilling. Each vineyard was kept separate in small open top fermenters and cold-soaked to extract maximum flavour and colour stability. The wine was fermented using a mixture of selected yeast strains and hand plunged up to six times daily. After fermentation several batches were put to a mixture of new and older French oak barrels. The remaining batches were aged in stainless steel tanks to preserve the delicate fruit characters. Each batch went through malolactic fermentation and was aged on lees before being blended, stabilised, lightly egg white fined and prepared for bottling. Tasting Notes Intense aromas of black cherry, blackberry and plum mingle with a hint of redcurrant. Savoury mushroom and toasty oak characters complete the attractive nose.Classic black cherry notes dominate the palate and are supported by hints of bramble, reflecting the aromatics. Structurally, the tannins are soft and silky, and well balanced acidity ensures good length and weight.