Confusing quotes from winemaker Gabrielle Simmers accompanied this wine:
“The motivation for me to produce naturally comes from my farming background, my experience learning from Heymann-Lowenstein in the Mosel, and personally I am very sensitive to any toxins. So I can only tolerate real purity in wine, and cool climate whites that are very austere, low alcohol and without pronounced intervention, oak etc. are basically about all my body can tolerate so that’s what I like to make.”
And thus we have a full-bodied, tadpole shaped Sauvignon Blanc that weighs in at 13.8% alcohol? Not really low alcohol. Not really very austere. Wild yeast ferment, 4-6 hours on skins, extended lees. Low sulphur – less than 10PPM. Voluptuous and honeyed on entry with passionfruit syrup, guava, smoke and pineapple. It becomes more savoury and narrow as it progresses down its line with nuts, herbs and oyster shell breaking free from the initial onslaught of flavour. Dry and phenolic to close. It’s all very fascinating but I don’t really want to drink more than a glass.
It uses a crown seal…”to eliminate cork taint – Bravo” says the Sunday Times. It’s not like many New Zealand Sauvignon’s use cork. I’d be happier with a screwcap allowing me to reseal the bottle with ease. And I did find it rather strange to rip the scab off and not hear a sigh. It is a still wine. Another point of “difference” though…
Finally the winemaker’s notes tell me that this is “Limited production & availability – 4.000 cases annually. The Supernatural is only offered to leading restaurants and retail in key mature wine-drinking markets.” Key mature wine-drinking markets? You’ll have to excuse me. I am very sensitive to marketing toxins and this is all a bit more than my body can tolerate. 88
Region: Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Alcohol: 13.8%
Closure: Screwcap
Price: $35
Tasted: January 2014
Website says current release is 2010. Curious stuff.
Excellent ending.