This new special cuvée, launched for this biodynamic winery's 20th anniversary, is a finessed and beautiful bottling from vines on the estate's Greywacke river stones. Wild fermented, with time on lees in old Austrian oak and minimal sulfur, it's bright, upright and linear. Aromas of pineapple, peach, lime granita and white florals are underscored with fresh wild herbal tones like fennel and cilantro. The palate is slinky, with more tempered acidity than your typical Marlborough Sauvignon. The focus here is on texture, complexity and food-friendliness. A beautiful expression of place from one of Marlborough's leading producers.
The 2020 Stones Sauvignon Blanc is from a single vineyard on the estate, planted at a density of 4,400 plants per hectare. The fruit had a wild ferment in 600-liter Austrian oak barrels and aged on the lees for 20 months, prior to being bottled unfiltered. On the nose, this is opulent and densely aromatic, with quince and persimmon, white peach, crushed nuts and even a hint of tapenade. Cassis and bramble lead through the finish, showing a wine of concentration, impact and width. The acidity on the palate is shale-like and mineral, and it is woven through the fruit, dragging it out, in concert with the phenolics and long over the finish. No malolactic fermentation occurred here. The fruit is from the Otira block in the front. 14% alcohol, sealed under Diam and wax.