Log in / Sign up Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 'Elsa' Sauvignon Blanc 2022
Both varieties were hand-picked and delivered to the winery, where the technique was the same for both wines. The fruit was sorted and whole-bunch pressed and the juice was then clarified and seeded with multiple yeast strains for primary fermentation, which commenced in stainless steel tanks, where temperatures were controlled to a maximum of 20°C. At the halfway stage, when the process has slowed, the fermenting must was transferred to barrel and allowed to finish at ambient. All the barrels were 228-litre French oak.
On the point of barrel aging, we kept things the same with the 2022 Elsa, using only 6% new oak. We are only looking for a small oak influence and want it to sit well in the background of both the nose and palate.
The wine went through full malolactic fermentation and once completed, each batch was blended, dosed with sulphur dioxide and returned barrel.
Oak aging continued until 3rd January 2023, 9 months in total, when both wines were racked and blended in stainless steel tanks. Fining trials were carried out to see if we could improve the tannin balance in the wines but none of the treatments offered improvement. They were then fined with bentonite for protein stability, cold stabilized and sterile filtered and bottled on 13th January 2023.
Cheddar and Gruyere
The aromas are a lively combination of orange blossom, nashi pear, honeydew melon, cinnamon, gooseberry, guava, caramel and light toasty oak. The emphasis is on vibrancy and freshness but it is noticeably complex as well.
The impact of the flavour array is immediate as guava, leaf, lemon curd, honey and caramel spread out over a palate of medium to full body. The richness makes the wine almost lazy. Nevertheless, there is fresh acidity assuring brightness and good length. The finish has soft tannin and very light toasty oak note.
