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A rich, concentrated, certified organic Sauvignon Blanc showcasing our Dillons Point vineyard in the Wairau Valley, aged on lees in 1,000L German Fuder barrels.
The journey of each Single Vineyard wine starts in a Marlborough vineyard selected for its unique terroir and climate. They are then nurtured with meticulous hands-on viticulture to ensure fruit produces highly concentrated flavour. Our winemaking expertise then allows these wines to speak for themselves, their purity becoming a showcase of the land.
Giesens ‘Old’ Dillons Point organic vineyard is on the eastern side of the Opawa stream. Originally planted in 1991, the vines are some of the oldest Sauvignon Blanc vines in Marlborough.
With a little bottle age this Sauvignon Blanc shows complexity. It’s blend of youthful Sauvignon Blanc aromas of stone fruit and baked apple with more aged aromas of almond, grilled asparagus and pineapple.
Certified organic by BioGro New Zealand, the low vine cropping on the vineyard ensures a rich palate which is incredibly smooth and seamless while being both rich and savoury at the same time.
A selection of wines which speak of the special place they come from, crafted from single vineyards with unique terroir and climate. Our winemakers ensure the purity of the wine becomes a showcase of the land.
Wairau Valley - Dillon's Point Vineyard
We hand pick the fruit in blocks from Dillons Point vineyard ensuring each parcel of fruit is in pristine condition.
In the winery it is allowed a wild fermentation before maturation on yeast lees in new 1,000L German Oak Fuder Barrels.
The use of Fuder barrels in this way ensures our Single Vineyard white wines develop a greater complexity and refinement because oak doesn’t dominate.
The ratio of wine in contact with the barrel surface is less than smaller barrels so oak pick up is less. The staves of Fuder barrels are thicker which means the temperature of ferment tends to be warmer and we find the fruit characters gain greater depth and complexity.
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The backbone of Giesen’s premium Sauvignon Blanc programme, Dillon’s Point was the Giesen brothers’ first Marlborough vineyard purchase. Maritime influence, intensely concentrated fruit characters, mineral intensity from the heavy soils, and hand-picked premium quality fruit make this vineyard special. Read more
Duncan has always loved science and the outdoors. Winemaking in Marlborough allows him to enjoy his two passions every day. Read more
"Wild savoury and floral notes, nettles and elderflower. Crunchy citrus flavours, zingy structure and long finish.
2020 Vintage; Awarded Bronze Medal July 2021."
Decanter World Wine Awards
"Ripe nectarine and honeydew melon aromas. It has decent weight and structural heft with firm acidity providing a taut finish.
2019 Vintage; Awarded Bronze Medal 2020."
Decanter World Wine Awards
"More subtle in style compared to Giesen's other single-vineyard offering, Matthews Lane, this wine offers stone fruit, lemon tea, snow pea and wild mint aromas. The opulent palate boasts tongue-tingling acidity and a citrus zing amidst a round texture.
2014 Vintage; Reviewed March 2018"
Christina Pickard, WineMag.com
"The 2013 vintage from Giesen was grown in the lower Wairau Valley and handled in large German oak barrels, 'which develop a greater complexity and refinement but the oak doesn't dominate'. Bright, light lemon/green, it's a finely textured wine, dry (3 grams/litre of residual sugar), with mouth-filling body (14.5 per cent alcohol) and concentrated, ripely herbaceous flavours, showing a subtle seasoning of oak and excellent complexity."
Michael Coopers Buyer's Guide
"Some struck-match aromas bring pleasant complexity to the aromas of vanilla and tangerine, then ripe citrus, smoke and vanilla take over on the palate. This is a full-bodied, fully ripe wine, without that intense pungency that marks many Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs.
2013 Vintage; Reviewed March 2018"
Joe Czerwinski - Wine Enthusiast
"This magnificent barrel-fermented sauvignon (in German Fuder) is concentrated, savoury, yet also refreshing and vibrant, exhibiting baked apple, dried herb, beeswax and mixed spice aromas on the nose. The palate is concentrated and powerful with excellent mid palate weight and rich texture, brilliantly structured by firm acidity.
2012 Vintage"
Sam Kim - Wine Orbit
"This organic single vineyard Dillons Point Savvy was from wild ferment 25-year-old vines, aged in 1000L German oak fuder (cigar shaped) for a lower oak to volume ratio, and was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Intense white asparagus, savoury lemon thistle, fine flinty ash on the gentle lemon curd palate finishes with a snap of brisk lemon acidity to brighten and carry. Broken stones and salts on the lengthy finish. This is not about the fruit, and will honey and deepen with age.
2012 Vintage"
Jamie Goode - UK Wine Writer
"A flagship barrel-aged (in a 1000-litre German oak fuder) sauvignon blanc with texture, purity and intensity. Tasted alongside the 2011, I preferred this vintage, which seems to be more integrated and intense with slightly stronger varietal flavours and mineral character. The wine still has plenty of nutty yeast lees complexity together with good weight and mouthfeel. It shows good use of oak and yeast influence while retaining strong varietal identity.
2012 Vintage"
Gourmet Wine Traveller
"This has a compact, complex style to it, with guava, papaya, lemony acidity and a very composed, porcelain-like palate. Great length. Bright and upbeat, it launches long through the finish, with some hazelnut to hold the last word.
2012 Vintage"
James Suckling - US Wine Writer
