Fire Road Sauvignon Blanc 2013
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Winemaker Alana McGettigan is an associate of Matt Thomson (Saint Clair, Delta), so it’s no surprise this Sauvignon Blanc overdelivers. Hints of tomato leaf garnish passion fruit and citrus flavors in this wine, which reveals a certain amount of austerity and restraint on the palate, a silky texture and a long, grapefruit-driven finish.
Marlborough's worst ever fire on Boxing Day 2000, burnt 6,000 hectares (almost 15,000 acres) the course of three days, killed thousands of livestock and threatened the wine town of Blenheim, as well as a number of vineyards and wineries. Disaster was avoided by the brave residents, of what is now known as Fireroad, who battled the blaze by using buckets and hand held hoses and were eventually assisted by a fortunate wind shift. The Fireroad vineyards flourish in the same hot and dry climate that was the catalyst for such a mighty blaze.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
An icon and leading region of New Zealand's distinctive style of Sauvignon blanc, Marlborough has a unique terroir, making it ideal for high quality grape production (of many varieties). Despite some common generalizations, which could be fairly justified given that Marlborough is responsible for 90% of New Zealand's Sauvignon blanc production, the wines from this region are actually anything but homogenous. At the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island, the vineyards of Marlborough benefit from well-draining, stony soils, a dry, sunny climate and wide temperature fluctuations between day and night, a phenomenon that supports a perfect balance between berry ripeness and acidity.
The region’s king variety, Sauvignon blanc, is beloved for its pungent, aromatic character with notes of exotic tropical fruit, freshly cut grass and green bell pepper along with a refreshing streak of stony minerality. These wines are made in a wide range of styles, and winemakers take advantage of various clones, vineyard sites, fermentation styles, lees-stirring and aging regimens to differentiate their bottlings, one from one another.
Also produced successfully here are fruit-forward Pinot noirs (especially where soils are clay-rich), elegant Riesling, Pinot gris and Gewürztraminer.