The Hermit Ram ‘Sauvignon Blanc Ancestral Method’ North Canterbury 2019

Winery: Although only making wine since 2012, Theo Coles low intervention wines are legendary for their pure expression of grape and terroir. Theo was inspired by “etching of a large gnarly looking ram standing in a field during my travels. He was defiant, a little sauvage, had an old world charm and was very New Zealand. He summed up the ethos of working with tiny sites and ancient techniques applied to New Zealand flavours.” He sources fruit from small, organically farmed vineyards throughout the Canterbury region, using only traditional and minimal intervention methods in the cellar.

Winemaking: Vines are in glacial gravel soils, “grapes are destemmed and fermented on skins for 40 days”, bottled immediately after malolactic fermentation, unfined/unfiltered, with no added So2. “Made in the ancestral method, with one fermentation in the bottle and no disgorging.”

Tasting Notes: Deep gold in colour, very aromatic, with lemongrass, baked pear, tomato leaf, white flowers and orange zest. Lemon, candied ginger, tomato leaf, citrus blossom, a trace of pineapple and fresh acidity glide atop consistent, light fizz. Yellow tomato, lemongrass, chalky minerality, pink grapefruit and orange zest linger on the zippy finish. A fantastic fusion of citrus and savoury.

100% Sauvignon Blanc
North Canterbury
New Zealand
Produced & Bottled by The Hermit Ram Ltd.
12.5% Alcohol
$26 [average price]