Region: Adelaide Hills, SA

This Stratus is the third release from the same source in the Adelaide Hills, a high altitude vineyard above the town of Woodside. To bring out the best of Sauvignon Blanc you need a cool climate and to get this coolness in Australia requires elevation or a southern cool region like Tasmania.
Around 1978 New Zealand released the cool tasting Sauvignon Blanc which evolved from the low lying, river terraces of Marlborough, located at the northern end of the South Island. At this time little was grown in Australia but gradually the plantings expanded. The wines from low lying land, even when close to the cooling ocean are not as complex as those from the higher altitude vineyards.
At this stage some of the best come from the Adelaide Hills and in this large region I think the ‘best of the best’ come from the region near Woodside called the Basket Range.
Differences in climates and winemaking methods from each region means those from Adelaide Hills have similarities and differences to those from New Zealand. With the Stratus you will discover a steelier, tight complexity when compared for example to fruitier wines.