Deep Down Wines was founded in 2018 by Clive Dougall, winemaker and viticulturalist at famed Seresin Estate, and Peter Lorimer, who founded New Zealand Wine Portfolio, promoting the country’s boutique wines globally. The goal was to celebrate distinctive wines within an ethical and transparent business model. They chose three organically farmed family vineyards: The Wrekin, Tua Marina, and Ashmore Vineyards, and are assisting them in the conversion to biodynamics. They currently produce four wines—Sauvignon Blanc, Arneis, Chardonnay, and a natural Pinot Noir. The ideal is to use nothing but grapes; however, that’s not always possible (when fermentation gets stuck, for instance), so any additions are noted on the New Zealand version of the back label.

Grapes for this wine come from the Sutherland family’s Ashmore Vineyards in the Fairhall subregion of Marlborough. The area was once a riverbed; soils are largely layered silt with some alluvial gravel. 2019 was a small but stunning vintage with a notably early harvest. Grapes ferment with wild yeasts, 35% in old puncheons, the rest in tank for three months (quite a long time). Unusually for New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, this wine undergoes full spontaneous malolactic fermentation, in which sharp malic acid is converted into softer lactic acid; the acidity doesn’t scream, and the fruit is not as high-toned. Malo takes place on the lees with manual stirring, softening the wine, increasing its subtlety, and adding nuance. The wine is lightly fined with bentonite, and a very small amount of sulphur is added at bottling.

TASTING NOTES

This wine is intensely fragrant but delicately so. Gooseberry, elderflower, fresh marjoram and dill, a tiny bit of green pepper, and sweet cucumber are quite inviting. All the aromas are present as flavors, harmoniously integrated, and the finish is floral. The texture and mouthfeel are beautiful. Medium bodied with a long finish.

FOOD PAIRING

Pair this with white fish or other foods as delicately textured as the wine itself. It could partner a frisée salad or scallops with fresh herbs.

Fish (white), Green Salads, Just for Cocktailing, Vegetables