Stratum Sauvignon Blanc 2011
The Stratum 2011 Sauvignon Blanc displays abundant aromas of gooseberries and tropical fruits on the nose. The palate is fresh and lively showing rich concentration and a long lingering finish. A wine to be enjoyed over the next two to three years.
86 pts Robert Parker Jr.’s The Wine Advocate (LPB) 10/2011
The 2011 Stratum Sauvignon Blanc offers a pleasant green apple, lemon and grapefruit nose with subtle notes of fresh herbs / thyme. The palate gives decent concentration, lively acidity and a medium-long, clean finish. Drink it now through 2013.
Sherwood Estate was started 25 years ago by Dayne and Jill Sherwood. They now have 8 vineyards covering 200 acres – 3 in Marlborough and 5 in Waipara. “Waipara has good mid-palate weight compared to Marlborough with lower cropping in general and the tannins tend to be a bit firmer,” Dayne commented during my visit in July 2011. The wines are naturally fermented using indigenous yeast. The “Heritage” range is made purely with Waipara fruit, with these wines in particular aiming at “being different from your average NZ wine”. These guys are doing a commendable job and their prices offer incredible value.
The fruit was harvested in the cool of the night and transported to the winery for immediate processing. The juice was settled after a gentle pressing then racked to fermentation. The juice was inoculated with yeast and cool fermented for an average of 17 days. Following two months of lees contact the wine was blended, lightly fined and filtered prior to bottling.
