The Paper Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc 2022

The Paper Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc illustrates an alternative style to the classic expression of Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough. Over 30 years of experience with this variety have led us to favor palate weight, texture and length in Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc over brazen aromatic fruitiness. The Paper Nautilus takes this approach one step further. Hand-picked fruit from a single site was fermented on solids at a warmer temperature in a large old oak cuve. The resulting wine has a more subtle fruit expression and greater textural qualities than the classic style.

The 2022 growing season got off to a good start with favourable conditions in the first three months setting up a good crop. This was a relief after the low yields of last year. Then February brought significant rains and cloudy weather which made use feel a bit nervous. Fortunately, this was followed by a long dry spell in the lead up to harvest and we were champing at the bit to get the harvest underway.

The Sauvignon harvest is best described as short, sharp, and very busy as we worked our way through the blocks in just fourteen days. With the threat of Covid in the community, there was a sense of urgency to get the grapes safely in the winery before our workforce became at risk and thankfully the harvest was completed without any additional drama. Vintage 2022 was logistically quite challenging, for a number of reasons, which makes it all the more satisfying when the wines come together nicely at the end of it all.

Hand-picked fruit from our Renwick vineyard was chilled overnight before being whole bunch pressed. The juice was settled overnight before racking, including some solids, to a 10-year-old, 3000 L French Oak Cuve. The still cloudy juice was inoculated with a non-saccharomyces yeast (Torulaspora delbrückii) and allowed to ferment between 16 & 18 degrees. After a 26-day fermentation, the wine was matured on yeast lees for 8 months before clarification and bottling in December 2022.