Hard work leads to champion alternate style sauvignon blanc trophy despite tricky vintage
Hard work leads to champion alternate style sauvignon blanc trophy despite tricky vintageCatalina Sounds has once again nabbed the WineWorks Alternate Style Sauvignon Blanc trophy at the 2023 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect.
Winemaker Matt Ward shared with us a little about the wine of the moment, their Sound of White Sauvignon 2022, and about experimenting with our most famous drop…
Pictured is (L-R) Matt Ward, winemaker, Fraser Brown, vineyard manager and Toby the vineyard dog.
Congratulations on picking up the Alternate Style Sauvignon Blanc trophy at the 2023 Marlborough Wine Show. This is the second time you’ve picked up the trophy - what is it about the Sound of White Sauvignon Blanc that makes it a stand out?
Being a single vineyard wine from our estate in the Waihopai Valley, it expresses just how unique the climate and clay soil profile is for producing this style of Sauvignon. In both viticulture and winemaking we take a ‘pre-emptive’ minimalist approach – do what is required early, to ensure quality is the result and means I can be relatively hands off in the winery.
Was there anything particularly special about the 2022 vintage?
2022 was a challenging season across the region due to weather, but what made it special is being recognised for the hard work that was put in to keep our yields under control, which gave us beautifully clean, ripe fruit to work with.
Marlborough has long been known for its world-class Sauvignon Blanc. What inspired you to look into other methods of making this flagship wine and how does it feel to be leading the way with alternate styles?
I spent several years working with Brian Bicknell of Mahi Wines who is passionately dedicated to producing single vineyard ‘barrel fermented’ Sauvignon. That approach really inspired me to look at Sauvignon through a different lens. I love the more reserved aromatics and textural element that fermenting and aging Sauvignon Blanc in oak creates.
We’re not the first to make this style by any means, but it adds depth to the Marlborough story, and redefines Sauvignon as being a diverse and interesting wine. It also lends itself to added complexity which matches with a wider range of foods than traditional Sauvignon.
The Marlborough Wine Show is known for encouraging Marlborough wine producers to put their wines in the mix to be judged by their fellow regional peers. Why is it an important competition for Catalina Sounds and how did it feel to pick up the trophy this year?
It felt bloody amazing!! It recognises all the hard work that goes into making the wines – not just for me; our vineyard manager Fraser, the team at the winery, the seasonal workers and harvest crews. It all helped to create a stunning wine!
The competition is an important part of Marlborough’s wine story and it gives context to where our wines sit amongst our most important critics – our peers. I think the competition creates a real ‘sense of place’ for Marlborough and the reputation we have. It also celebrates the abundance of talent in winemaking and viticulture, the hard work and dedication that teams across the region put in year after year.