Wine: Rothbury Estate Sauvignon Blanc

Country: Australia

Region: New South Wales

Brand/Producer: Rothbury Estate

Grape Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc

ABV: 11.5%

Type: White

Code: 2007

Tasting Note

Gorgeous Sauvignon Blanc aromas of citrus and exotic fruit are enhanced with white floral blossoms. The tropical palate features passionfruit and pink grapefruit with leafiness and citrus zestiness in the clean zappy finish.

Producer

In the late 1960s a syndicate including a wine columnist and director of the Australian Wine Bureau, a gallery owner and wine connoisseur and (most importantly), winemaker Len Evans was formed with the aim of establishing a vineyard. The project was officially founded in 1968 with winery becoming operational in 1970.

The Great Cask Hall, the centrepiece of the project, was inspired by the long tradition of cathedral-like timber woolsheds in country NSW. The winery exemplifies a pragmatic approach to design, focusing on the relationship between the building and its environment and a spatial progression derived from operational requirements. By taking advantage of the slope of the land, grape delivery and processing could be gravity fed. The Rothbury Estate soon began to draw visitors to wine festivals and wine auctions, fulfilling Evans’s aim to demystify wine drinking. Although the building has been extended and the winery has changed hands, the intended approach through the vineyard and the Great Cask Hall can still be appreciated today.

Winemaking

Early morning harvesting ensures the best possible freshness for the grapes. The harvest date is carefully chosen to ensure fruit is at optimum ripeness level. Traditional vinification takes place in temperature controlled steel vats with just enough pressing to extract the purest possible juice.

Fun Fact

The Rothbury Estate Winery at Pokolbin, NSW was the first modern architecturally designed winery in Australia, setting a precedent for a distinctive Australian building typology: the ‘cellar door’.

Food pairing

A refreshing exotic wine for outdoor recreation and dining, this works well with all kinds of picnic dishes as well as grilled white fish, poultry and vegetables from the barbeque.