Roaring Meg Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Warm summer growing conditions have resulted in a concentrated Sauvignon Blanc in a typical Central Otago style. The wine displays gooseberry flavours intermingled with bell pepper and freshly cut hay; this moves into a full mid-palate and then the wine finishes with lingering passionfruit and rhubarb. This wine is ideal for fun-loving, responsible summer drinking.
Cellaring Potential:
Roaring Meg Central Otago Sauvignon Blanc is at its best within three years of release.
Vintage 2011:
2011 was not the easiest of vintages – there was a high potential for mediocrity if proper care was not taken at all times in the vineyard and winery. The quality of fruit was very good, provided the right decisions were made. As a style, vintage 2011 has a very different tenor to ‘09 and ‘10 which were all about density and concentration; 2011 is about purity, precision and elegance.
Spring was fantastically settled, almost too good to believe, which led to excellent flowering and fruit set. Spring conditions actually arrived at Christmas, and frequently unsettled weather was the norm right through January and February! Despite this, it was also pretty warm; it was almost too perfect for canopy and bunch development leading to bigger than normal berries, and higher bunch weights as a result. Finally some semblance of normality arrived in March with conditions settling. These settled conditions continued through the balance of autumn, other than one wet spell which highlighted how tender and thin-skinned the berries were this season. In the winery it was a season where the fruit needed empathy, and the direction of the wine was dictated by the fruit.
Vineyards:
For the first time Mt Difficulty has released a Central Otago Sauvignon Blanc under the Roaring Meg label. Historically Mt Difficulty was not able to source enough Central Otago fruit for Roaring Meg, yet needed to produce a Sauvignon Blanc under the label to fill demand in the marketplace. From it’s inception Roaring Meg Sauvignon Blanc was made from Marlborough fruit, from vineyards chosen by Mt Difficulty winemaker Matt Dicey.
In 2008 Mt Difficulty Wines Ltd purchased and planted over 30 hectares of land on the western side of Lake Dunstan alongside State Highway 8 towards Wanaka. Station Block takes its name from Mt Pisa Station, and is planted in Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. 2011 sees the fruition of Mt Difficulty’s investment in the Roaring Meg brand, with the first crop from Station Block.
The soil at Station Block is classified as a high terrace Lowburn gravel, generally considered very suitable for viticulture. This gravel is regular in both physical and drainage properties and is easy to manage soil, low to medium in fertility.
For international shipping options please email info@mtdifficulty.co.nz
or contact your nearest International Distributor
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