A Thousand Gods Blanc Sauvignon Blanc 2023
A Thousand Gods Blanc Sauvignon Blanc 2023 – alternate view 2
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A Thousand Gods Blanc Sauvignon Blanc 2023

A Thousand Gods
$30.00

Grape: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2023
Type: White

Farmed biodynamically in the Waihopai Valley of Marlborough, this white wine offers an alternative take on sauvignon blanc. Winemakers Simon Schmidt and Lauren de Luca hand-harvest the fruit from a tiny plot to emphasize texture and aging potential. The juice undergoes a spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts and spends extended time on the lees without adjustments. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with zero added sulfites, it captures a raw regional identity.

It pours a pale straw color, opening with focused aromatics of ripe apricot, yellow yuzu, and a distinct flinty reduction. A textural, medium-bodied frame balances stone fruit flavors with a chiseled saline tension across the palate. The extended lees contact contributes a savory mouthfeel that grounds the high natural acidity. A clean finish leaves a dry, persistent trail of crushed stone and citrus pith. It shows a structured depth that avoids simple fruit sweetness.

After spending a decade making wine in the Cahors region of South-West France, as well
as collectively working over forty vintages across nine different countries; Simon and Lauren have returned back to New Zealand to make wine under their own label ‘A Thousand Gods’. Their aim is to make wines they can call their own, both representative of site, yet in their own way, surprisingly unique.
Working closely with their biodynamic grower in the Waihopai Valley of Marlborough, meticulously farmed grapes are hand-picked and undergo wild fermentation. No additions, fining or filtration processes are used. Instead, thoughtful guidance into becoming wines that are generous and approachable, yet
also complex and cellar-worthy.
Their name is inspired by an expression in Occitan 'miladiou' (mille-dieux in French). Occitan was the language spoken in the south of France prior to French, and certain dialects of Occitan can still be heard in rural areas of southern France today, although the language is gradually dying out. “Miladiou!” is an exclamation of surprise that can be used in a myriad of situations and an English equivalent would be Blimey! or Holy Cow! but it literally translates as “A Thousand Gods!”