Stoneleigh Latitude Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014 has been awarded a Gold medal at the 2015 Decanter World Wine Awards, the world’s largest and most influential wine show.
The prestigious Decanter award adds to the long list of international medals awarded to Stoneleigh Latitude wines in recognition of their outstanding quality and flavour. Stoneleigh Latitude Sauvignon Blanc 2014 also won Gold at the New Zealand International Wine Show and Easter Show Wine Awards, as well as a Trophy at the Marlborough Wine Show.
Stoneleigh Winemaker Jamie Marfell says, “It seems fitting that our wine from the ‘Golden Mile’ is consistently winning gold. This area is considered one of the best locations in New Zealand for growing grapes and our goal is to capture the unique terroir of the region in Stoneleigh Latitude wines. It’s immensely gratifying to have the work of our viticulture and winemaking team recognised by the experts at such an esteemed competition as the Decanter World Wine Awards.”
The Stoneleigh Latitude range is aromatic and elegantly rich in flavour, a reflection of the distinctive growing conditions in the ‘Golden Mile’, the region known for its vineyards covered in stones left by an ancient riverbed. The stones soak up the warmth of the sun’s rays by day and radiate that heat to help ripen the grapes by night. This wonder of nature, coupled with the free-draining stony soils, inspires a distinctively crisp, fresh and elegant wine.
Stoneleigh Latitude Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014 has aromas of citrus blossom, grapefruit and lemon, with a palate weighty with honeydew melon and grapefruit, followed by a lingering minerality. Grapes are selected for their flavour and quality, and juice is fermented at low temperatures to retain its aromatic qualities.
The Decanter World Wine Awards is the world’s leading wine competition, whose judges are a ‘who’s who’ of the global wine world, comprising over 200 of the world’s leading wine critics, and numerous Masters of Wine. A Gold medal is the equivalent of 95-100 points and is awarded to an ‘Outstanding’ wine. Total wines tasted for the 2015 Decanter World Wine Awards were 15,928, of which 513 were from New Zealand.
