Rapaura Springs Rohe Blind River Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023

Rapaura Springs Rohe Blind River Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023"Pungent and precise aromas of tropical fruits and fresh herbs, stony soils and white fleshed orchard fruits. All these scents turn into flavours on the palate plus sweet grapefruit and a white spice highlight. Well made and refreshing with plenty of acidity and power. Best drinking from 2023 through 2027" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Sep 2023 "It's fabulously aromatic on the nose with feijoa, green rock melon, jalapeno and jasmine aromas,

"Pungent and precise aromas of tropical fruits and fresh herbs, stony soils and white fleshed orchard fruits. All these scents turn into flavours on the palate plus sweet grapefruit and a white spice highlight. Well made and refreshing with plenty of acidity and power. Best drinking from 2023 through 2027" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Sep 2023

"’It's fabulously aromatic on the nose with feijoa, green rock melon, jalapeno and jasmine aromas, leading to a delectably appealing palate delivering terrific fruit richness backed by bright acidity, offering excellent drinking. At its best: now to 2028" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Aug 2023

"Flavoursome wine with moderate intensity but light-bodied. Nice purity with passionfruit, red capsicum, gooseberry and guava flavours that linger tantalisingly. A hint of sweetness is balanced by tangy, mouth-watering acidity" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review

Intensely aromatic with lemongrass and ripe citrus aromas and concentrated fruit flavour. The palate is weighty with mouth-filling layers of ripe grapefruit, lemongrass, and melon. The mouth-watering acidity helps drive a lengthy finish. This wine is immediately expressive but will continue to drink well for the next five years.

Blind River is the driest, coolest, and most windswept sub-region in Marlborough. Grapes grown here develop unique and intensified flavours as the grapevines are naturally restricted. The soils in this region are typically free draining, with a diverse composition of stone materials.

The 2023 growing season started with above average bunch numbers in most districts in Marlborough. Unsettled and cooler weather over flowering resulted in loose and lighter bunches, with the net effect of producing average yields across most varieties and regions. The weather around the time of veraison was unstable, and at times threatening. We just missed out on the destruction of the cyclone that hit the east coast of the North Island. The weather then settled into a pattern reminiscent of the harvests in the early 2000s. The nights were particularly cool, and this helped to arrest any small levels of botrytis that had started in the early unsettled weather. It was a vintage where patience was rewarded and those who waited harvested fully ripe grapes with concentrated flavours and classic acidity. Once perfectly ripe, the Blind River Sauvignon Blanc was carefully harvested and gently pressed before individual parcels were batch fermented in stainless steel with selectedyeast strains to retain the aromatics and fruit characters unique to this sub-region.

Rohe, meaning territory in Te Reo Māori, is a range of wines that showcase Marlborough’s sub-regions and share our perspective of a remarkable region. Each bottle of Rapaura Springs tells the story of a lifetime. Of water and wine, and of generations of family working with nature. Our label depicts the rocky aquifer at our home vineyard, and the pristine springs that connect it to our land. We make exceptional wines that reflect our remarkable landscapes, pure waterways and passionate people.