Description

Castlebrae was originally founded in 1955 by Geoff and David Marfell s father as a relatively modest block carved off a property as a sheep, beef and viticultural estate. The family have added to the property over the years and it was purchased in 2014 by Ling Hai group with the focus to develop the New Zealand wine and tourism industry. On top of the 100 hectares already planted, the new owner planted another 27 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc.

This is a single vineyard wine made with fruit from Castlebrae vineyard, located at the mouth of the Awatere River. The vines were planted in 2007 and 2013 giving a nice mix of maturity.

The wine has vibrant notes of lychee, bell pepper and citrus characters on the nose. Fresh tropical and grassy characters fill the front palate, the mid palate is juicy and the wine finishes with a nice, sweet edge. The palate has a unique freshness that is due to the free draining soils found at the growing site.

Gooseberry, grass and green bean aromatics with some fleshy tropical moments; lean and linear with an excellent drive of acidity.

– Decanter World Wine Awards 2023, 91 pts