Still
Simon and Vanessa Barker
Marlborough
Sauvignon Blanc
Waverley is located a half mile from the sea in one of the windiest and driest spots in Marlborough. Whilst bud-break is 7-10 days earlier here because of the proximity of a relatively warm sea in the spring, in the summer the breeze is stronger in the Awatere than elsewhere in Marlborough. And it’s strongest at Waverley. More wind makes the vines less prone to disease, reducing the need for treatments. Wind also reduces temperature, lowering yields and delaying maturity so the grapes see more of the cooler fall evenings. The cool evenings mean larger diurnal temperature changes as well as longer hang times, both of which help develop the aromas and flavors that give the wines their unique intensity.
Certified Sustainable
The soil at Waverley Vineyard overlays gravel and clay. It’s the right kind of almost stone free clay that holds water, making it available to the vine’s root system in our drier micro-climate. The depth of the underlying clay and its water content vary from one end of the vineyard to the other, providing the desired variable growing conditions.
Waverley Vineyard is nestled between the bluffs of Blind River half a mile from the sea in the cooler Awatere Valley. There are recognized differences between the wines of the Awatere and Wairau valleys. Awatere wines are fresher and mineral while Wairau wines are more tropical and rounder. Blind River’s most recognizable element is a flinty, smoky minerality. Waverley was planted, mostly, in 2004.
Fermented in 100% stainless steel as cold as possible, down to 8C. Three months lees contact and battonage lead to enhanced aromatics and added complexity. No fining prior to bottling. RS: 3.3g/l. pH: 3.25. TA: 7.4g/l.
Bottle, Screw cap, Vegan
0.750
Delaware, New Jersey, and New York
Rich, intense layers of lemongrass, briny, wet stone minerality, spicy, creamy, and signature flintlock smokiness. Light passionfruit and super ripe limes. Elegant but powerful, fresh yet dense. Incredible, fresh, focused attack that is light, biscuity, and mouthwatering. As with the nose, the fruit comes later and is subtle citrus and passionfruit with a wonderful secondary edginess that is so gentle that it’s barely perceptible but adds, hugely, to the complexity here. If possible, the finish is even more complex with an amazing fruit richness and sweetness balanced, perfectly, by that juicy, mouthwatering acidity. Subtle and complex, and age will make it even better