Producer
Babich have a heritage that is rare in New Zealand, with their history long predating the viticultural boom of the last thirty years. Croation immigrant Josip Babich made his first wine in Auckland in 1916 and one hundred years later his descendants are still going strong – the third generation of the family David Babich now holds the reins. They boast an impressive 428 hectares under vine, spread across thirteen vineyards in Auckland, Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough, supplying the vast majority of the grapes that go into their wines. This long history does not prevent them from thinking of the future. In 1987 their Fernhill Vineyard in Hawke’s Bay was the first to be sustainably registered in New Zealand and this commitment to the environment continues to this day, enacted through their practices in both the vineyard and the winery.
Vineyard
The grapes come from Babich’s Cowslip Valley Vineyard, located in Marlborough’s Waihopai Valley.
Winery
The grapes were pressed and the free run juice was fermented in seperate individual lots in stainless steel tanks at a range of different temperatures, using a variety of different yeast strains. The ferments were stopped before completion to retain the level of natural sweetness in balance with the acidity.
