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Giesen News

Reintroducing The August An Unconventional Character

Bold. Complex. Elegant. This is Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc like you've never seen it before.


August Giesen’s outrageous legacy is inextricably tied to the Giesen story. So producing a wine elevated to its richest expression, with meticulous care from our winemakers, seemed a fitting tribute to a legend.

Expect depth and complexity, texture and purity of flavour.

From selecting and hand-picking the highest quality fruit, to barrel fermentation with wild yeast, to the seasoned oak used in maturation, our dedication to producing a truly extraordinary wine reflects the extraordinary life and legacy of August Giesen himself.

 

Our new look celebrates the rich German Art Deco era of August Giesen’s life. August (pronounced Aw-goost), born 1888, was a sommelier, restauranteur, hotelier, and all-round connoisseur of the finer things in life. His antics and character ensured his status as a bit of a local legend in his native Germany.

​​To Theo, Alex, and Marcel, he was simply ‘Opa’.​

We take inspiration from his zest for life and enthusiasm for all things fine, and make a wine to match – a mark of the man.

Read more about the wine

Bold

This Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc delivers intense flavours that are unlike the Sauv you’re probably used to. In other words, we take wild yeast and traditional barrel fermentation, to craft a very un-traditional wine.

Fruit from our Matthews Lane site adds rich ripe tropical notes, steely, wet pebble aromas and purity. Our organically-certified Dillons Point vineyard adds herbal notes, richness and structure. Wild yeasts add extra texture and build depth and length.

These bold characters reflect one of our favourite stories about August – who once hired an entire train to get to work on time.

Read the story of August upstaging the Kaiser

Complex

Our attention to detail starts in the vineyard. With premium fruit from two of our iconic Wairau Valley vineyards, we do everything by hand to ensure we can craft a Sauvignon Blanc unlike any other.

With a tropical nose featuring passionfruit and lime leaves, this is a multi-dimensional wine layered with toasty almonds, fresh brioche and incredible flinty notes. Well-integrated oak provides complexity and elegance.

In 1909, August found himself sailing to New York. But his adventures took a turn he didn’t expect after a lavish weekend with a dazzling Russian prima ballerina.

Read the story of August’s NYC adventures

Distinctive

Elegant and unconventional, this multi-dimensional barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc displays all of the boundary-pushing characteristics of its namesake. Character-filled and complex, this wine rewards cellaring for up to a decade.

On returning to his native Germany, August was known for his smart suits, his love of steak tartare, and his passion for Mosel – the dry German Riesling that was his favourite wine. This passion for the finer things and his distinctive character served him well – just as he served the finest European wines during his time running the popular Emperor Court Hotel in Berlin.

Read the story of August: The legend

A Mark Of The Man

With premium handpicked fruit, wild yeast and natural oak barrel fermentation, this elegant award-winning Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is a fitting tribute to a legend.

Read more about The August wine Read more about the new look Giesen