The grapes come from a single block on the Woodlands Ridge Vineyard owned by Mark and Joanne Kozned (of Russian descent). A powerful bouquet running through herb, gooseberry and passionfruit promises much, and the palate duly delivers those flavours on a long finish; is deliciously fresh, with cleansing acidity. From Adelaide Hills, Drink to 2011 with bouillabaisse; SA; 94 points, $19.99, Screwcap, 11.5% alc; Halliday’s Top 100 Wines for 2009 – The Weekend Australian November 14-15, 2009

Sauvignon Blanc shows its best characteristics when it is grown at high altitude in a cool climate such as the Adelaide Hills. Our 2008 Sauvignon Blanc is a single-vineyard wine sourced solely from our Woodlands Ridge Vineyard located in Gumeracha towards the northern end of the Adelaide Hills. Our vineyard is high at 480 metres above sea level and its cool with a mean temperature of 18.7 degrees Celsius during the growing season. The vines are cane pruned and arched over a second cordon wire to encourage canopy uniformity.

The 2008 growing season was warmer and much drier than normal which resulted in an earlier start to harvest. Early bursts of heat at the beginning of the growing season resulted in rapid shoot growth but moderate temperatures prior to ripening allowed for enhanced flavour development. An early start to harvest meant that the grapes were picked in excellent condition protecting the delicate varietal characters but the grapes were ripe with nice tropical fruit characters on the palate.

Winemaking responsibilities rest with Peter Leske with support provided by Mark Kozned. Peter’s two decades of experience with one of the Adelaide Hills most renowned wineries provides the platform for the production of our premium cool climate wines. Harvest commenced on 3 March 2008 and finished on 11 March 2008 allowing us to avoid most of the record heat where Adelaide recorded 16 days in a row above 35 degrees Celsius. Each batch was crushed, destemmed and chilled prior to gentle airbag pressing with only the free run juice retained allowing the elegant and delicate qualities of Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc to come to the fore. The juice was fermented for approximately 20 days at low temperatures to enable the retention of the classical varietal characters of Sauvignon Blanc.

Our 2008 is true to the varietal characters of Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc. It is a fresh, elegant and refreshing wine with moderate alcohol. The 2008 wine shows plenty of cut grass and herbal notes and gooseberry and passionfruit aromas that fl ow onto the palate. Zesty green bean, mineral and tropical characters are evident on the palate which are all balanced by crisp acidity producing a wine with fi nesse and elegance that is designed to be enjoyed now with friends.