| Wine Styles | Cool/Moderate climates • H acidity, M body with pronounced flavours of gooseberry, grapefruit, green bell pepper, asparagus, grassy, and wet stone >> Loire: Central Vineyards • H acidity, M body, pronounced intensity of floral, stone fruit, tropical fruit (passionfruit), herbaceous or herbal notes >> New Zealand: Marlborough • Bordeaux white: M(+) to H acidity, M to H alcohol, M(+) body, pronounced intensity of gooseberry, lemon, grapefruit with vanilla, clove (new oak) • Bordeaux sweet: F body, H alcohol, M to M(+) acidity, pronounced aromas of citrus peel, honey, tropical fruit (mango), vanilla (new oak) with a sweet finish Warm climates • H acidity, range from citrus to tropical fruit, wet stone, herbaceous >> lees contact and barrel ageing to add complexity >> Chile |
| Key Regions | France: Loire (Central Vineyards) New Zealand: Marlborough, Canterbury Chile USA: California |
| Viticulture | • Late-budding • Early-ripening • Vigorous; best on poor soils, careful canopy management to avoid shading • Row orientation affect flavour profile >> shadier: green pepper, grassy >> sunlight: tropical fruit • Prone to fungal diseases (powdery mildew, botrytis bunch rot, Esca, Eutypa) |
| Winemaking | New Zealand • Machine harvest with longer skin maceration for trademark passion fruit flavours • Delivery at cooler temperature to reduce oxidation, microbial infection, and retain primary fruit • Fermentation in stainless steel to low temperature (12~16dC) to retain primary fruit • Culture yeast (to promote fruity aromas) • Minimum lees ageing (2~3 months) in stainless steel to retain freshness • MLF blocked to preserve high acidity and primary fruit • Typically no barrel ageing • Adding ascorbic acid and SO2 at bottling and bottle under screwcap to retain freshness Loire • High quality wines usually aged in old oak, without influences of new oak • MLF often blocked Bordeaux white • Blended with Semillon to contribute its H acidity, grassy and gooseberry notes • Press directly on arrival at winery to keep freshness or left on skins for < 24 hr before pressed for more phenolic complexity • Early drinking styles: fermented at cool temperature in stainless steel tanks and remain in tanks for a few months • Mid-priced wines: lees ageing for 6~12 months for more weight and complexity • High quality >> fermented and aged in barriques with varying level of new oak >> MLF can be blocked to maintain freshness and acidity >> bâtonnage to enrich wines used less often. In hot years, lower acidity may not support excessive body Bordeaux sweet • Semillon dominant blends |
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