Forget-me-not Sauvignon Blanc Semillon bottle image
Forget-me-not Sauvignon Blanc Semillon bottle image

Forget-me-not Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2012

Tasting Notes

This is a terrific wine style – the classic Bordeaux white in fact. Semillon is an excellent foil for Sauvignon Blanc, adding palate weight and texture and a little bit of citrus (lemon) on the palate. Our style of Sauvignon Blanc is grassy with hints of nettles - we don’t make those ostentatious passionfruit numbers which come from over the Tasman.  So we end up with a delicious stylish dry white which is great as an aperitif or matched with seafood, a chicken stir-fry or even a creamy dessert. Serve chilled. 

It is a massive truism, but really, every vintage is different. Vintage 2012 was condensed into about 8 weeks from go to whoa which meant we had finished crushing all grapes by the end of March. Generally this feat would only be accomplished by the middle to end of April. Yields across all varieties were considerably down on average (from 15-40% in some varieties), but quality is looking very promising for both reds and whites. We had cool conditions up until the end of February then some rain, which did not affect things too much (see vintage 2011)as the whites were already picked and safely in the winery, and reds were unaffected. 

Bozzie can look a little oafish (a tad harsh – but he’s a big fella and often doesn’t brush his hair which can make him look a little uncouth) but has a delicate hand when it comes to making this wine, which is all about fragile characters and aromas. The Semillon is picked a little riper than the Sauvignon Blanc but both varieties are reductively handled, which means we protect the grapes from air to safeguard those delicate aromas. The aim is to get those lovely aromatics into the bottle without losing anything. Both varieties go through a cold fermentation in stainless steel, and we didn’t use any oak in the making of the ‘Forget-me-not’.  Simple. 

Technical Details

Picking Date: 31st January and the 2nd and 6th February 2012

pH: 2.97

Total Acidity: 6.93 g/L

Alc/Vol: 12.5%

Bottling Date: 12th November 2012