Sauvignon Blanc 2012

https://7springs.co.za/current-vintages/sauvignon-blanc/sauvignon-blanc-2012/Tasting Notes

The Seven Springs Sauvignon Blanc continues to develop each year and yet retains its familiar fruit profile and mineral characteristics. Pale in the glass it has delightful aromas of pineapple, white peach and elderflower. There is an explosion of flavours on the palate that reveal a wine with true elegance and balance. As with all the Seven Springs wines this stays with you until you take your next sip. A great match for seafood and chicken, lightly spiced, Thai style dishes but also easy to drink on its own.

Technical Analysis

Alcohol: 13.98%
Total Acidity: 5.9 g/l
pH: 3.43
Residual Sugar: 5.6 g/l

Harvested: 14& 23 February 2012
Bottled: July 2012
Total Production: 12,700 bottles (750ml)
Ageing Potential: 4-6 years

Harvest Report

The Seven Springs Sauvignon Blanc enjoyed ideal weather conditions for ripening in February and March, being cool and dry meant the ripening was slow and mellow. As always picking started early in the morning to preserve the delicate aroma components that are typical and particularly appealing in Sauvignon Blanc. Sorting took place in the vineyard, with pickers placing the selected bunches in small crates to avoid crushing before reaching the winery.

The grapes were not sorted again on reaching the winery and the juice from the crushed fruit was processed reductively (keeping oxygen away during pressing and settling). The must was inoculated with yeasts VIN7, 13 and ALCHEMY 2 and cold fermented in stainless steel tanks. After alcoholic fermentation it was left on the lees lfor 3 months, being stirred once a week to aid in the development of the texture on the palate. It also helped to “soften” the acid component.

Reviews

Tom Cannavan July 2014

As with their earlier releases, this is a Sauvignon Blanc that nods towards Europe as much as it does towards New Zealand in terms of its pitch and style. The nose is relatively subdued, offering citrus and a creamy suggestion of roundness and concentration. On the palate there is only a trace of elderflower or gooseberry herbaceousness – this Sauvignon seems to be more about texture and cool orchard fruit character, with a lovely freshening thrust of lemon and lime in the finish.