The Donaldson Family have been seriously involved in viticulture and winemaking for over 40 years. Founder Ivan Donaldson planted one of Canterbury’s first vineyards in 1976 and went on to establish Pegasus Bay in 1986 with his wife Christine. It is a true family business, with all four of their sons involved.
The vineyard is located within the Waipara Valley of North Canterbury, on free draining, north facing terraces. It benefits from being in the lee of the Teviotdale Range, giving maximum protection from the Pacific’s easterly breezes and thus creating a unique mesoclimate. The vines are over 35 years old, with a large proportion planted on their own roots. They are located on the “Glasnevin Gravels” where greywacke stones, silt and loam have been washed down from the mountains over the millennia. The soil is of low fertility, resulting in naturally reduced vine vigour. This produces low yields of optimally ripened, high quality, flavourful grapes, which fully express the qualities of this unique terroir. The vineyard has warm days, but the nights are amongst the coolest in the Waipara Valley, drawing out the ripening period of the grapes, while still retaining good natural acidity.
Settled weather during Spring resulted in successful flowering and a healthy fruit set, meaning crop thinning was needed in some areas. Good heat concentration in early to mid-Summer then allowed the grapes to ripen beautifully. The remainder of Summer and Autumn threw up a mix of hot days interspersed with cooler spells, although rain was sufficiently spread out to ensure the bunches remained healthy and disease free.
The grapes were picked in separate batches during the first half of April, the aim being to produce a spectrum of ripe yet zesty aromas and flavours in the finished wine. After gentle pressing of the berries, the free run juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks at a cool temperature, to help the wine express its varietal purity. A selection of the fruit was fermented using whole bunch, and then matured on skins for 200 days, to give added complexity. A small portion of barrel aged Semillon has also been included in the finished wine, for extra richness and texture. Both varieties were aged on their natural deposits of yeast lees (sur lie) for approximately 10 months, prior to blending.
Pale straw in colour, the nose serves up a tempting amalgam of exotic, mineral and zesty notes. Impressions of melon, guava and passionfruit interplay with touches of green apple, honeysuckle, freshly podded peas, lemongrass, and a hint of wet river gravel. The palate is generous but focused, richly textured with invigorating acidity, giving length and a racy freshness. Heightened phenolics from extended skin contact imbue the wine with added complexity, enthralling the taste buds on the long and structured close.
“Pale, green-tinged sauvignon with a mix of tropical fruit, citrus and savoury oyster shell flavours. The wine opened up as it sat in the glass and deserves to be aerated to get the best out of it. It's a complex and sophisticated wine that's in a class of its own.”
“Enticing and engaging … Wonderfully flavoursome and complex ….”
“…This Sauvignon Blanc has a seriousness, structure and fine texture …”
“…rich and complex … ” It is mineral and graphite and good …”
“… Medium to full body, with an oily texture. Excellent density and persistency with a distinct herbal undertone”
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