# Pyramid Valley North Canterbury Sauvignon + (2023)

- **Producer:** Pyramid Valley Vineyards
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Sauvignon Blanc
- **Region:** Canterbury, New Zealand
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 13.5%
- **Average price:** €23
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 10–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** blossom, elderflower, lemon, grapefruit, lime, herbaceous, fennel, butter, cream, toast

## About this wine

Pyramid Valley Vineyards, located in North Canterbury, New Zealand, is a pioneer in biodynamic and natural winemaking. Founded with a vision to showcase the unadorned voice of the soil, the estate focuses on low-intervention practices. The 'Sauvignon +' cuvée represents an intellectual, boundary-pushing approach to Sauvignon Blanc, stepping away from highly commercialized regional styles to craft a wine of incredible texture, minerality, and structural precision. Sourced from organically managed vineyards on unique gravel and clay soils, this wine highlights the cooler, highly expressive terroir of North Canterbury.

## Interesting facts

- The '+' in the name represents a boundary-pushing approach, incorporating skin contact and concrete egg fermentation.
- Pyramid Valley is a pioneer of biodynamic viticulture in New Zealand, focusing on 'nature first' principles.
- This wine undergoes 100% malolactic fermentation, a highly unusual choice for New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

## Food pairing

The wine's high acidity and distinct saline, mineral profile make it a perfect match for fresh seafood and shellfish, mirroring the natural ocean spray characteristics. The subtle phenolic texture from skin contact and concrete aging allows it to stand up to creamy goat cheese and herb-infused poultry, while the vibrant acid line cuts through rich butter sauces without overwhelming the palate.

## Wine making process

The winemaking process for this cuvée is highly artisanal and atypical for New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Hand-harvested grapes are whole-bunch pressed and fermented naturally using indigenous yeasts. The wine is split across different vessels: 70% is fermented in concrete tulip-shaped vats, 22% in neutral French oak barrels, and the remaining 8% undergoes skin contact to build phenolic texture and savory depth. Uniquely, the wine undergoes 100% malolactic fermentation to soften the piercing acidity, followed by 6 months of aging on its lees before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.