Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc

Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc

Wine Description

The natural beauty of the Nautilus shell has inspired our expressive, balanced, precisely crafted wines since 1985, the early days of Marlborough winegrowing.  Back then there were only 80 NZ wineries. Today there are nearly 700. Yet we remain small, family-owned, and committed to the stunningly beautiful Marlborough region.

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Acclaim
“Vibrant, with fresh pomelo, ginger and lemon zest flavors that reverberate at the core. Details of lemon verbena, celery leaf and saline linger on the long, expressive and mouthwatering finish.”
— Wine Spectator, Feb 2022
"Very attractive peach and passion-fruit notes with fresh lime, too. The palate has a smooth, fleshy feel with succulent passion-fruit and lime flavors. Good depth and concentration, too."
— James Suckling, Oct 2021
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Vineyard & Production Info
Soil composition
Stony
Training method
Cane-pruned
Vines/acre:
880
Exposure:
Northern
Harvest time:
April
First vintage of this wine:
1985
Bottles produced of this wine:
300,000
Average Vine Age:
20
Certified Vineyards:
All vineyards certified under Sustainable winegrowing New Zealand
Certifying Organizations:
New Zealand Winegrowers
Sustainability Certification:
SWNZ
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Winemaking & Aging
Varietal composition:
100% Sauvignon Blanc
Fermentation container:
Stainless steel tanks
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
21 days
Fermentation temperature:
55 °F
Maceration technique:
Sur-Lie Aging
Fining agent:
Vegan
Type of aging container:
Stainless steel tanks
Length of aging before bottling:
5 months
Total SO2
109
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Analytical Data
pH level:
3.06
Acidity:
7.5 g/L
Alcohol:
13 %
Total SO2
109
Residual sugar:
3 g/L
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Wine Production

Grapes were machine-harvested at night then fermented at cool temperatures in stainless steel to give fresh aromas. Some of the fermentations were started with non-saccharomyces yeasts for texture and complexity, with the remainder using aromatic yeasts giving aromatic intensity.  The wine was kept on lees for five months providing creaminess and integrated flavours.

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About the Vineyard

Nautilus Sauvignon is sourced from free-draining stony soils, giving low cropping, low vigour, early ripening vines, great flavour development every year and serious, age-worthy wines.  A blend of sites adds layers of complexity.