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Dog Point Vineyard

Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc 2022

Marlborough

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Section 94 is widely regarded as the most distinctive and greatest Sauvignon Blanc being made in New Zealand today. James Healy and Ivan Sutherland were among the first to begin fermenting their Sauvignon in barrel with wild yeasts, a technique that along with the old vines they use, leads to a full-bodied wine that is less fruit-forward, more exotic, and has immense textural complexity.

VINEYARD

The single vineyard parcel called Section 94 was planted in 1992. The vineyard is managed to reduce yields, and as is the case with all Dog Point wines, fruit is hand-picked (only 5% of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is hand-picked). The soils are free draining silty clay loams on the flats of the valley, as these express intense citrus and grapefruit flavors. Dog Point operates under what is called the "Biogro" program, an initiative to promote the production of premium quality wine utilizing environmentally friendly and responsible practices.

WINEMAKING

Hand picked and gently pressed to tank for 24 hours of settling prior to eighteen months fermentation and aging in used French oak barrels. 100% natural ferment. Bottled without fining and only minimal filtration.

VINTAGE

The 2022 growing season opened promisingly, with a mild spring, average budburst timing and favorable flowering. Significant rainfall in December and February, exceeding 200mm, brought renewed vine vigor but sharp disease pressure. Rigorous bunch selection in the vineyard and sorting at the winery were essential, resulting in a smaller than expected crop of notable concentration and intense fruit character.

TASTING NOTE

Pale straw. Lifted aromas of granny smith apple, lemon rind, orange blossom and elderflower. Bright, elegant citrus palate with a saline finish.

FOOD PAIRING

Oysters, grilled asparagus, seared snapper

Color

White

Blend %

100% Sauvignon Blanc

Appellation

Marlborough

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Other Wines by this Producer

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Sauvignon Blanc

Dog Point’s Sauvignon Blanc takes a category of wine and completely transcends it, with an intensity, depth and energy that so obviously sets it apart from the first encounter. When they decided to make a pure stainless steel vinified Sauvignon Blanc, Dog Point pushed to the ultimate every process to produce top quality, distinctive wine. They hand-pick fruit at low yields, green harvest at times, and ferment partially with indigenous yeasts. This wine helped make Dog Point a key advocate of premium wine production in New Zealand, and for New Zealand across the world.

Chardonnay

Several influential voices in the wine industry believe that in time Chardonnay may prove New Zealand's single highest achievement. All three of the Dog Point wines fermented in barrel are small in production, but the Chardonnay is the smallest, and and times indeed the most dazzling.

Pinot Noir

Dog Point's renown as a Sauvignon Blanc producers has done nothing to lessen the enthusiasm around their Pinot Noir, today considered one of the finest in New Zealand. What sets their wine apart is the generosity of the structure, which comes off as rich but not sweet, and the complex mingling of fruit and savory notes.