Mahi Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough

Description

Mahi Sauvignon Blanc is a white wine made in the Marlborough wine-growing region of New Zealand. It is 100% Savignon Blanc. and the fruit is sourced from several of the estate’s vineyards.

The winemaker and owner of Mahi Wines is Brian Bicknell. Brian had made wine around the world for about 15 years when he settled in Marlborough on 1996. Brian was interested in noting that vineyards in the different valleys of Marlborough produced remarkably unique profiles. At the time most Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc would be blended from different areas. A plan was hatched to make wines from different vineyard sites to show that the region had true depth, complexity and “terroir”. Winemaking at Mahi is very “hands off”. Fruit is hand harvested and sorted prior to being ‘whole-cluster’ pressed at the winery. Fermentation is carried out using only the wild yeasts that arrive on the grapes. If barrels are used for maturing the wine then French barrels are chosen as they impart a savoury quality to the wines. Today Mahi has several vineyard sites including the original one in the Fareham Lane area of the Wairau Valley. In 2006 Brian was able to quit his other winemaking commitment and focus on Mahi Wines only. This coincided with the purchase of the old Cellier Le Brun winery which was upgraded and modernised. The first vintage released from the new winery was the 2007. They also produce a Pinot Gris, single vineyard wines and various Pinot Noirs.

The Mahi Sauvignon Blanc is a blend of  Sauvignon Blanc grapes from several different vineyards (having said all that about single vineyard sites) and is a great starting point for exploring the Mahi style. The hand-picked fruit was whole-cluster pressed so that the time on skins was minimised. A portion of this juice, usually around 20%, was barrel-fermented in older French oak to give greater weight, though ensuring that wood is not evident on the nose. The balance of the wine was fermented cool to retain the fruit characters from Mahi’s vineyards. The native ferment portion, around 35%, also adds levels of flavour and texture, giving a savoury note that balances some sweeter fruit. The final blend was made solely from free-run juice, Brian feels that this produces a more elegant and subtle wine.

The winemaking team is Brian Bicknell, Phoebe Cathcart and Max Bicknell.