2006
Mitsuko's Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc
Clos Pegase
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Congratulations – you are, or are soon to be, the proud owner of a bottle of Mitsuko’s vineyard Sauvignon Blanc. Note the ‘Stelvin’ brand screw top, which is designed to retain all of the bright and fresh fruit tones that our Sauvignon Blanc offers. We have chosen this closure to best protect the outstanding quality of this wine; as an added bonus it is simple and easy to open. The 2006 season began with flooding over the New Years period, which made national news, but left dormant vines unaffected. Plentiful rain in the spring followed, leading to a slightly delayed budbreak, and the cool weather persisted right into early May, slowing the onset of flowering. A burst of warmth in the latter half of May and then into June was perfect for fruit-set and produced great uniformity of berry development. A moderate and dry summer was punctuated by a 10-day heat spike in late July, but as fall progressed, mild conditions prevailed. The harvest was approximately two weeks later than ‘average’ and the consistency of weather during flowering and harvest has given wines of great purity and depth. In the style of the Loire Valley we fermented two-thirds of this wine in 130 gallon puncheons, allowing us to gain barrel ferment complexity, as well as the subtle influence of new French oak. The remaining portion embraces the new world; fermented and aged in stainless steel at cool temperatures to preserve the gooseberry and tropical fruit tones. Both lots undergo no malolactic fermentation to retain a crisp acidity, and both receive extensive lees stirring to give fatness and richness to the palate. The wine is filled with vibrant and pure Sauvignon Blanc varietal character: gooseberry, kiwi, honeydew melon, fresh cut hay, fig leaves and grapefruit. The palate has great delicacy and finesse, with expansive fruit on the middle and vibrant acidity tempering the ripe fruit on the lingering finish.