Lawson’s Dry Hills celebrated 25 years of winegrowing last year, and it is well-established as one of Marlborough’s stalwart producers with a wonderful reputation for the quality of its wines, especially with Sauvignon Blanc and the aromatic varieties. Sion Barnsley is general manager and director, his family being shareholders from the start, and Marcus Wright is the winemaker, with the company since 2001. Marcus is assisted by Rebecca Wiffen, and the viticulturist is Mark Ludemann. The current wines, sourced from vineyards in the Wairau, Waihopai, Omaka and Awatere Valleys have never been better, and the 25 year celebratory ‘Ranu’ co-fermented wine shows the open-mindedness of the team with respect to winemaking styles. Here, I review the 2017 Lawson’s Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc.
Lawson’s Dry Hills Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2017 * * * * *
Bright, even, light straw-yellow colour with some depth. The nose is firm and well-packed with a core of passionfruit harmoniously melded with nettle, cut-grass, green capsicum and snow pea aromas, unveiling some chalky mineral notes. The aromatics are layered and detailed. Dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate has a tightly bound heart with penetrating and intense flavours of passionfruit intermixed with nettles, fresh herbs, snow peas and nuances of minerals. The fruit has richness and sweetness and is enlivened by racy acidity, and the wine carries with good energy along a very fine-textured line. This has concentration and linearity, and the wine carries to a very long and sustained finish of passionfruit, herbs and nettles. This is a firmly-packed, intense, rich-fruited Sauvignon Blanc with real linearity. Match with Pacific Rim fare over the next 2 years. Fruit from 5 sites, in the Waihopai, Dashwood, outside Renwick and on Alabama Road, fermented in stainless-steel with 7% indigenous yeast fermented in seasoned French oak barriques to 12.5% alc. and 2.2 g/L RS. 18.5/20 Apr 2018 RRP $20.00