Hermit Ram Salty White 2022

“An ode to the New Zealand coastline, saline and floral” 

Theo Coles of Hermit Ram describes his Salty White, and it delivers a moreish, atypical expression of kiwi Sauvignon Blanc (with a pinch of Müller-Thurgau bringing the florals). Sauvignon’s primary fruit aromatics are toned down. This wine is about texture as much as it is about taste, with gentle tannin and chalky freshness.  Fruit is part direct pressed, part fermented on skins and part whole bunch fermented, all with wild yeast. Part of the wine is left untopped in barrel, developing a flor. It’s unfined and unfiltered.

North Canterbury’s limestone soils initially caught Theo Coles’ attention, and he has gained a serious following for the sophisticated natural wines he makes there. With a background in ecology, organic practices focus around regeneration. Soils aren’t tilled to retain carbon, with inter-row planting balancing soil nutrients. The wines are made with minimal intervention, wild yeasts and gentle extraction.