Goldwater Sauvignon Blanc 2009
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Robert
Parker
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Goldwater’s 2009 Wairau Valley Sauvignon Blanc offers subtle lemon, pineapple and fresh herb aromas with a whiff of wet pebbles. Crisp, dry, with good concentration, a medium body and a long finish, this Sauvignon is drinking perfectly now and should remain fresh to 2012.
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2017- Decanter
Goldwater wines have been producing expressive Marlborough wines since 1992. Our wines are sustainably produced and nurtured through the growing season by our talented and experienced team. These wines showcase the best the Wairau Valley of Marlborough has to offer.
Our history is rich and colorful. Goldwater was founded in 1978, making us among the oldest wine producers in New Zealand. Still revered as a pioneering producer in the Wairau Valley, Goldwater is renowned for bright fruit flavors and extraordinary textures. For more than three decades our talented viticultural and winemaking team has worked diligently to create wines that mirror the character and personality of our unique coastal region.
From the distant silhouetted mountains behind us to the indigo blue ocean before us, the Marlborough countryside is world famous and undeniably romantic. Our home, the celebrated Wairau Valley, is a place of wistful beauty and extraordinary terroir. There is a windswept elegance to Marlborough’s famed Wairau Valley, it is both the heart of the district and home to some of the country’s most famous wines. The region takes its name from the Wairau River, which flows from the alpine ranges in the west to the ocean at Cloudy Bay. Wines from the Wairau Valley are rich, elegant, generous and concentrated.
Stu Marfell grew up on a 2,000-acre farm a few miles from Goldwater in Marlborough. When not drenching and shearing sheep, Stu and his three brothers could be found swimming and fishing in the Awatere River. In 2003, after earning his degree in Viticulture and Oenology from Lincoln University in Christchurch, New Zealand, Stu landed the Assistant Winemaker’s position at Goldwater. He became Winemaker in 2007. “The Wairau Valley is a stunning place. We have a dry, windy, temperate climate with beautiful autumns. Our cool nights help retain acid and ?avor which is so important for Sauvignon Blanc.” Stu met his wife Emily through the Wairau Rowing Club in Marlborough. Both are exercise and outdoor fanatics and travel junkies. Stu also plays a mean ukulele.
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.