Each bottle of Rapaura Springs tells a story of a lifetime in Marlborough — of water and wine and working with nature. We are a family owned and operated winery based in the heart of Marlborough, New Zealand.
Rapaura Springs makes more small batches than any large wine company in Marlborough, this allows them to keep each vineyard and sometimes multiple batches from one vineyard separate until blending. This is an incredibly complex way of making wine, but they believe the results validate what they do. Rapaura Springs have become well known as a producer of highly awarded wines of value and are now making a name for themselves with their new Single Vineyard and Sub-regional wines.
Rapaura Springs Rohe – Blind River Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2018 has been awarded Platinum/97 points and shortlisted for the trophy at the Decanter World Wine Awards in the UK.
Rohe meaning territory or boundary in M?ori, has been launched to showcase the unique flavours found in each of Marlborough’s sub-regions. “I am excited to be part of this new winemaking venture “Rohe” whereby we are trying to showcase the individuality of the various subregions around Marlborough. For years we have been working on a number of trials in the winery to get the most out of the vineyard and therefore the fruit that we can.”
Multiple picks, selected and varied yeast strains and winemaking techniques are used on the fruit and subsequent wines to help showcase the subregions attributes at their best. I’m very happy to see the Decanter judges were able to see the strength of these wines also, with this prestigious award for our 2018 Rohe Blind River Sauvignon Blanc.” Says Michael Bann, Rapaura Springs Winemaker.
Now in its 16th year, the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) is the world’s largest and most influential wine competition. Judged by the top wine experts from around the globe, the DWWA is trusted internationally for its rigorous judging process.
The 2019 Decanter World Wine Awards, the world’s largest wine competition, sampled and judged close to 17,000 wines, entered from 57 different countries. The scale of this event emphasises the global appeal and highlights the prestige attached to receiving a coveted Decanter Medal. During the week-long event, over 280 of the world’s top wine experts tasted and debated the merits of each bottle entered. Only 148 wines were awarded with a Platinum medal and 480 with Gold. Wines which score 95-100 points are described as excellent wine of great complexity and character.
In 2018 a new system to award top medalists was introduced – Platinum and Best in Show. Gold medal winning wines are re-categorized by grape or style and re-tasted by a panel of Regional and Co-Chairs. The wines are judged according to their origin and the judges are aware of countries, regions, sub-regions, grapes, vintages and price bands. The winners are awarded Platinum medals.
Co-chair of the awards, Michael Hill Smith MW comments “The Decanter World Wine Awards really helps producers to raise their profile internationally and for consumers faced with the prospect of such choice; choosing a bottle with a DWWA sticker on it, particularly a Gold or Platinum should reassure them that the wine has been through a rigorous judging process, against much competition and you can trust the quality. With more education on wine so widely available nowadays, and plenty more opportunities to travel, now really is the time to have an interest in wine.”
The Rapaura Springs Bull Paddock Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2018 was awarded 92 points, Rapaura Springs Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2018 and Rapaura Springs Rohe Pinot Noir 2017 were awarded 91 points. Judges’ comments are “these are very accomplished wines with impressive complexity.”
Visit: http://rapaurasprings.co.nz/ for more information