2021 Weaver Single Vineyard Lenswood Sauvignon Blanc

2021 Weaver Single-Vineyard Lenswood Sauvignon Blanc is a single-vineyard wine grown on our beloved site in Lenswood in the Adelaide Hills. It’s a lively, tightly structured wine with a generous, supple mid-palate and a fine, long, savoury finish.
SEASON
The vines were still in recovery from the fire of December 2019, with around 35% of our Sauvignon not bearing. Crop levels on the bearing vineyards were low at 1.6kg per vine and around 60% of average. Harvest began on 11th March, which is almost two weeks earlier than our average harvest date of 24th March but very close to our the average post-2006/07, which is 13th of March. No doubt our grapes are ripening earlier in the last decade.
We handpicked the grapes in mild weather from 4th to 6th March. Heat degree day summation for the year was 1160 which is below to our long-term average of 1270 Heat Degree Days (HDD). We had a wonderfully mild summer with December, January and February all cooler than average. Our old vines show the benefits of maturity with good balance of crop and leaf – and more stable crops overall.
The growing season rainfall was 202mm from October to March, a little below our long-term average of 229mm. Disease pressure was consequently low and ripe healthy grapes were harvested. We grow our grapes without irrigation and they benefit, I believe, from deep roots sustaining them rather than more shallow ones subject to downpours and dry spells.
WINEMAKING
We crushed, destemmed and gently pressed the the fruit with an airbag press. We cold fermented the clear settled juice to dryness.
TASTING
The wine has lifted aromas of pear, cut grass and hints of flowers. The nose is fresh, fragrant and complex. The palate has fresh fruit with a lively, juicy richness on the palate and a lingering, fresh acid edge to the finish. It’s full, long and delicate. – Geoff Weaver