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Stephen George grew up amongst the grape vines, very near the hamlet of Reynella and the nascent Skillogalee in Valley Clare. Both salubrious sites which were originally planted to vine by George senior in 1970. Stephen's pioneering work at Ashton Hills was a major catalyst for the development of Adelaide Hills as an internationally renowned wine growing region. Along with the eminent Brian Croser, Stephen was one of the principals who placed Adelaide Hills on the map, resolved to produce the best Pinot Noir in the country and bring global fame to the Adelaide Hills Piccadilly Pinot style... From the misty chills of ashton hills»

Mahi Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc CONFIRM VINTAGE

Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough New Zealand
The winemaking at Mahi is deeply focused on expression of individual terroir, regional blends in the traditional Marlborough style are simply not an option. The Mahi team take aim at a wine that satisfies across the palate, Sauvignon Blanc which offers texture and depth, rather than displaying basic varietal fruit. Selection of site is the key, looking for grapes with layers of flavour, to craft a wine with a sense of time and of place, a wine which challenges you to listen and to contemplate, to comprehend that Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc are not all created equal.
Available by the dozen
Case of 12
$275.00
Parcels of Sauvignon Blanc from several sites are co-vinified alongside a backbone of fruit, hand harvested off the stoney portion of Wadworth Vineyard and a late picked portion from Guernsey block. Bunches are pressed as whole clusters to minimize time spent on skins. Exclusively free run juices are treated to vinification at cooler temperatures to retain the true expression of vineyards. Smaller portions are sent to a selection of seasoned French oak for barrel and wild indigenous yeast ferments, adding to textural mouthfeel and palate weight while limiting the influence of oak. Upon completion, components are assembled into the final wine, aimed to strike perfect balance within the sum of parts.
Light straw hue. Vitally clean nose of citrus and tropical fruits, hints of wild ferment, gooseberry and supple French oak notes. A more subtle and elegant expression of Marlborough, well rounded within a creamy mouthfeel, gooseberries and passionfruit flavours are supported by a dusting of fresh herbs and green vegetable notes. A juicy, lingering and exquisitely clean finish.
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Mahi
Mahi began in 2001 with an idea being to show the individuality of valleys and vineyards in Marlborough, to recognize and celebrate the rich diversity of soils and clime throughout the greater Marlborough region

Brian Bicknell had been making wine in different parts of the world for about 15 years before deciding to return to New Zealand and settle in Marlborough. Arriving in 1996 he could see that vineyards in the different valleys of Marlborough produced remarkably unique profiles. At the time, most of Marlborough’s wines were made as regional blends with many individual site characteristics being lost. In other areas of the world distinctive sites were being celebrated and so an idea was hatched to create a label that promoted different vineyard sites across Marlborough to show the region had true depth and complexity. Wine reflects both the place and the people involved, you can have a great site, but if the management is poor, or the owners too greedy, then this will be reflected in the fruit and the wines.

Mahi

Brian’s winemaking style for Mahi is to allow the vineyards to speak through the wines, with the wines being made in a very hands off manner. The primary emphasis for all of Mahi’s wines is texture, aiming for wines that give real palate satisfaction rather than fruit bomb styles. The very first harvest was from a vineyard located in the Conder’s Bend part of Marlborough. An area Brian was familiar with. Initial quantities were tiny from this small 1.5 hectare parcel of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir from the Byrne vineyard. Mahi now manages the vineyard organically and are thrilled to still be working with the site that started it all.

In 2003 Twin Valleys Vineyard was included into the Mahi family. Located at Fareham Lane in a distinctive part of Wairau Valley, an area of slightly cooler temperatures and longer ripening times. A series of elegant Chardonnays have come from this parcel. From 2006 onwards Pinot Noir and Gewurztraminer have also been made. In 2007 the owners purchased a site close by at Guernsey Lane and planted it to Sauvignon Blanc.

In 2004 an opportunity to take some Sauvignon Blanc from a vineyard closer to the sea presented itself and since then the Francis Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc has been produced. The Francis family has a long history with Brian and Nicola as Polly Francis had worked five vintages with Brian and worked the first vintage at the Mahi winery in 2007.

Mahi

Having a winery was a long held dream as it allowed for total control of the winemaking process and also gave Mahi a home. The first vintage of Mahi in its new home was 2007. A lease of an excellent vineyard was taken up and another very good grower was also added. The greater numbers of vineyards meant that the focus at Mahi was broadened and in 2007 the first regional Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc was produced.

Mahi work hard to maintain a close relationship with the vineyard owners. It is possible to make okay wines from mediocre grapes but it is impossible to make the wines that Mahi want to be associated with without access to great fruit, grown by great people. It is the key to be associated with people who have the right sites, vineyards which are planted with the appropriate varieties, growers with the passion and experience to manage the vineyard so that great grapes are produced. It is an art and a science to manage a vineyard through a season and as each season is different from the others, good growers learn something new every year. With this in mind, the Mahi team acknowledge the impact that experience has on making particular decisions for a parcel of land.

If someone has been working with the same parcel over many years, they build up a real knowledge of how their vines will respond to different seasons. It is a matter of great pride at Mahi that they are still involved with the vineyard which kicked Mahi off, the Byrne property on Bedford Road. Mahi may also mention that they are still associated with all the growers they have ever worked with. At the Mahi cellar door are photos and stories of all the growers, you can taste the wines while reading the stories of these special places and people.

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