Introduction: Ninth Island, although often shrouded by ocean mists, the Island is visible from our Pipers Brook vineyard in northern Tasmania. The island name has been used for our range of fresh, vibrant early drinking style wines that capture the distinctive cool-climate flavours and nature of Tasmania.

Season: The 2011 growing season was characterised by almost perfect conditions for flowering and fruit set, followed by long warm summer ripening days in the season. As a result of well balanced vines, the small bunches and berries have contributed to our Sauvignon Blanc achieving full flavour ripeness with soft expressive tropical aromatics and only subtle underlying herbaceous tones distinctive of the variety grown in a cool climate.

Soil: The grapes were grown on a mixture of the Brown Chromosol and Vertosol soils (Black Cracking Clays) of our Tamar Valley vineyards. Both soil types have excellent water holding capacity, offering a steady supply of moisture and nourishment to the vines throughout the growing season.

Viticulture: Sauvignon Blanc is perfectly suited to cool maritime climate of northern Tasmania and the banks of the Tamar River; our vineyards consistently achieve good fruit flavours and varietal balance. The grapes were harvested in mid April from medium cropping vines, these vines are spur pruned and grown on Vertical Shoot positioned trellis, which helps to expose the ripening bunches to the sun, thus achieving full ripeness and well-balanced flavours.

Winemaking: Our aim in the winemaking of this style is to maximise all the natural, cool climate flavours and aroma’s distinctive of Sauvignon Blanc from our region in northern Tasmania, by expressing the rich tropical nature of the variety with balanced underlying soft herbaceous tones, the grapes are carefully de-stemmed and crushed using full protective handling techniques that avoid any juice oxidation or browning. The juice is then clarified and is fermented very slowly at cool temperatures in stainless steel vats. To maximise retention of aromatics, the resultant wine has been bottled early under screwcap, producing a style that is intensely aromatic with a well-integrated crisp acid finish

Analysis: Alcohol: 13.5% Titratable acidity: 7.0 g/L pH: 3.10

Tasting Notes

Colour: Pale golden straw with a tinge of lime.

Bouquet: A lifted floral bouquet of freshly picked lilies, hints of oyster shells, the perfume is mineralized, soft and elegant, talc like; with underlying tones of fresh fruits such as gooseberry, passion fruit, and vanilla cream, finishing with a hint of mango and the sweet grassy aroma of dill.

Palate: Medium bodied, well-balanced and soft structured palate, the flavours are long and fine, with expressive lush tropical fruits, mango, paw paw, banana passion fruit and sweet baby asparagus, all nicely balanced by savoury notes and a fresh crisp cleansing acid spine, which provides tightness to the finish, whilst the fruit remains delicate and lingering.

Ageing potential: Likely life span to 2013 with optimal year 2012.

Food suggestions: A Sauvignon Blanc made for your enjoyment and to drink on its own, yet versatile enough to match with a wide array of different appetizers & cuisine; grilled pork loin, chicken salad, fried goats cheese salad with cranberries, Mexican dishes, spring vegetable and seafood stir-fry’s, pasta’s, curries, salsas; Pan-seared scallops, risotto of lobster with sea vegetables, shellfish, freshly shucked oysters, asparagus with prosciutto and shaved parmesan.