Hunter's 'Offshoot' Pet Nat Sauvignon Blanc 2022
Hunter's 'Offshoot' Sauvignon Blanc Pet Nat (short for the French 'pétillant naturel' meaning ’natural sparkling') is a wine made according to the oldest way of making sparkling wine and is the result of a single, continuous fermentation. The fermenting juice is bottled while it is still fermenting, i.e. while the yeast is still consuming the grape sugars in the juice, resulting in the fermentation then continuing inside the bottle. The fruit for Hunter's Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Pet Nat was sourced from the Waihopai Valley sub region of Marlborough. Classic Sauvignon Blanc characters are expressed on the nose that is complimented by beautiful apple and ripe citrus aromas. The palate is vibrant and fresh with passionfruit and pear notes. Good natural acidity brings all these characters together into a well-balanced wine. The wine shows a light spritz due to the fermentation finishing in bottle. The wine is cloudy as there is no filtration prior to bottling, kind of like a pale ale beer. The sediment at the bottom of the bottle is the dead yeast cells that settle once the fermentation process has completed.