28-Jun-2017
Experienced wine industry identities Sarah Inkersell and Russell Hooper operate the Marlborough specialist brands of Fairbourne Estate and Two Tails as winemaker and marketer respectively. Being proponents of the unique style of Sauvignon Blanc from the hillside vineyards of the Southern Valleys, they developed Fairbourne Estate as a Sauvignon Blanc-only brand, aiming to show the finesse, class and style of the wines that emanate from this sub-region. The wine has consistently achieved superior quality and refinement from the inaugural 2008 vintage, and the flavour profile is delicate and minerally, rather than fruity. In the course of developing Fairbourne, Sarah and Russell began with their Two Tails brand, first made in 2004, to offer a more approachable wine that was the forerunner to Fairbourne. As does happen, such brands that offer value and accessibility grow not only in volume but in the varieties that can be offered, and the Two Tails Sauvignon has Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir as its stablemates. Here, I review the new release 2016 Two Tails Pinot Gris and 2016 Fairbourne Estate Sauvignon Blanc. www.twotails.co.nzwww.fairbourne.co.nz
