Press Release from Coal Pit Vineyard
24 June 2008
Coal Pit Cinquante Sauvignon Blanc wins Gold in San Francisco
The Coal Pit Cinquante Sauvignon Blanc 2007 has earned a gold medal at the San Francisco International Wine Competition.
Now in its 28th year, it is the largest, most influential wine competition in America , judged by a prestigious panel of
nationally recognized wine experts.
The fruit for this wine was sourced entirely from the Coal Pit Vineyard estate on Coal Pit Road in Gibbston Valley ,
Central Otago , and was crafted by winemaker Lynn Horton.
Originally from Central Otago, Horton graduated from Lincoln University and subsequently worked in California , Austria
, and Martinborough (NZ) before returning to the region and signing on with Coal Pit. Her husband, Gary Crabbe, is the
company's viticulturist.
The Coal Pit Sauvignon Blanc was also recently rated by John Hawkesby on Radio NZ as "absolutely divine… a Sauvignon
with a bit of style, a bit of sophistication and a bit of complexity."
A 30-tonne winery, which was designed by award-winning architect Chris Kelly of the Architecture Workshop in Wellington
, is currently being constructed on the property. Completion is slated for spring 2008 and a cellar door facility is
expected to be in open in December 2008.
The vineyard takes its name from a nearby historical site which was a familiar landmark for musterers, goldminers and
pioneers who, as they passed over the Coal Pit Saddle, sourced coal from the pit. The coal was bagged at the pit, loaded
on to drays and brought down Coal Pit Road to the valley.
Planted in 1994, it is one of the oldest vineyards in the Gibbston Valley sub-region.
RRP NZ$20.00
Available direct from winery.
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Coal Pit ‘Cinquante’ Sauvignon Blanc 2007
The fruit is sourced entirely from the estate on Coal Pit Road in Gibbston Valley. The aroma shows typical Sauvignon
Blanc characteristics. The pallet is mouth filling and persistent showing minerality with flavours of melon and citrus.
This wine exhibits the distinctive terrior of the vineyard site.
The fruit was whole bunch pressed followed by a cool fermentation. A portion of the wine was fermented in neutral oak to
increase mouth feel.
Alcohol 13%
R/S 8.75
pH 3.3
Winemaker: Lynn Horton
Reviews & Awards (updated regularly)
Gold Medal – San Francisco International Wine Competition, June 2008
“Absolutely divine… lovely melon & citrus flavours. It also has this wonderful capsicum thing happening there, which I think is rather good. It’s very
fleshy. It’s tending dry and it has this mineral undertone. So, it’s quite a textured, complex Sauvignon and normally we
don’t associate ‘complex’ with ‘Sauvignon.’ …but this is a Sauvignon with a bit of style, a bit of sophistication and a
bit of complexity. … A pleasant change from Marlborough…”
- John Hawkesby, Radio NZ Nine to Noon, 19 May 2008