Mason Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2023

Winemakers Notes

I love Sauvignon Blanc – it is so fragrant at harvest that the whole cellar smells like a swirl of starfruit, green grass, and lychee. The idea behind this collab was to make Sauvignon Blanc with a Winemaker who not only has more harvests than me under his belt, but also many of those vintages with Sauvignon Blanc.

Craig McD was able to source 30-year-old vines with Sauvignon Blanc in Lakeshore, Niagara. 72% of the must is wild ferment in stainless with the approach to maintain the ferment temperature cool and prolong the ferment. This produced a Sauvignon Blanc that with layered notes, grassy with herbaceous a bit austere.

The remaining 28% was fermented commercially in barrel (neutral French oak) and the goal was to allow the fermentation to go through with speed, no temperature control and with lees contact post ferment. This added some tropical notes and weight on the midpalate. Both vessels aged separately for 7 months and then were blended together. 

Medium straw with shimmering flecks of green. Wildly aromatic nose of lime, gooseberry, granny smith apple, fruit cocktail and nettle. The flavours on the palate echo these intense aromas, but with added weight, ripe fruit notes and considerable complexity contributed by the use of some barrel fermentation.

Super clean and fresh with great acidity and fine length. New World aromatic intensity married to Old World textural finesse. This wine absolutely screams of spring. Delicious and so full of life. Pair with green pea risotto, seared scallops with basil oil or grilled vegetables tossed with lemon and fresh tarragon.