Immediately after the first pressing of Delicata’s Chardonnay grapes the Sauvignon Blanc grape variety was pressed at the winery’s new state-of-the-art winemaking hall.

Following a strong winter, the 2009 growing season began drier and cooler than 2008, with the temperatures in June and July characterized by relatively cooler nights, foggy mornings and warm afternoons -- ideal conditions for ripening fruit. When late July -  early August unfolded, the weather pattern changed dramatically, with periodic heat waves.  Vine physiology responded swiftly as sugars began to increase while acidity dropped.

By the beginning of August, the ripening Sauvignon Blanc displayed remarkable colour and flavour development. This was sustained and even surpassed in vineyards where vines were healthy and strong and able to withstand the changing in weather conditions.

Delicata’s Sauvignon Blanc grapes were picked on 12th August and the fruit arrived at the company’s grape receiving facility perfectly ripe with good sugar/acid balance and all of the grapes pressed achieved the required D.O.K. parameters.
The fruit was separated according to varying terroir, isolating the fruit from those vines which have been planted in relatively cooler parts of the Island and where the soils are chalkier in structure. This will enable Delicata’s winemakers to produce the style of Sauvignon Blanc there customers have come to expect which is more ‘mineral’ in style.  The resulting juice showed typical characteristic flavours of grapefruit and lime which were well integrated and had a clean citrusy finish.
Delicata’s Head of Winemaking & Viticulture, Dr Edric Bonello, who supplied this vintage report, urges wine lovers to watch out for Delicata’s two Sauvignon Blancs; the Medina D.O.K. Malta and the Gran Cavalier Superior D.O.K. Malta  Maceration Pelliculare, both from the 2009 vintage which should be released towards the end of this year.