The Hermit Ram Sauvignon Blanc Zealandia 2022 20L

The Hermit Ram

Wine: Zealandia Sauvignon Blanc

Region: North Canterbury

Grape: Sauvignon Blanc

Colour: White

Alcohol: 12.5%

Size: 20L

Fruit is harvested from two gravel vineyards in North Canterbury. Grapes are destemmed and fermented on skins for a few days to bring texture before being pressed off and finishing fermenting in tanks. Not your average NZ Sauvignon? Saline and ozone.

Producer

Teasing out the New Zealand-ness of his wine - Theo Coles makes wines steeped in the landscapes and nature of his native New Zealand. Taking inspiration from the smells and textures of the Pacific coastline, the pastures, mountains, and native forests. 

Theo?s home turf of North Canterbury is a hodgepodge of soils jumbled together by the seismic and volcanic activity that formed the country; glacial gravels, mineral-rich clay, and limestone build its foundations. Fruit sourced from organic vineyards on gravel and clay forms the core range. Focusing on regeneration, diversity, and carbon sequestering, the vineyards are never tilled; instead, live roots aerate the soils and a wide variety of plant species to balance nutrients and the environment.

Farming and Winemaking

Farming and Winemaking The fruit is taken from two organically farmed gravel vineyards in North Canterbury. The grapes are sorted at the winery, destemmed and fermented with indigenous yeasts for around ten days on skins with no punch down to keep the extraction delicate. The wine is then pressed and allowed to finish fermentation in vat. Ageing is in stainless steel tank, and the only addition during winemaking is a little sulphur before kegging. Unfined and unfiltered.