Hear Jules explain why she can't resist her "little sweetie" and why there's only ever a tiny amount of it to go round.
Tasting notes:
• Hand-picked Awatere Valley grapes that have raisined on the vine.
• Made only when Mother Nature allows — tiny quantities, never guaranteed.
• Luscious passionfruit, apricot and caramelised fig, balanced by bright Sauvignon Blanc acidity.
Jules Taylor Wines
Marlborough Late Harvest
Marlborough Late Harvest
- Delivery Included NZ Wide
- 95 Points - Sam Kim
This little sweetie is a cool character with a twinkle in its eye. Jules takes everything she loves about Sauvignon Blanc and concentrates it down into teeny tiny quantities of honeyed gold in this lusciously sweet wine. Only made when perfect vintage conditions allow, this botrytised, late-harvest, sweet style of Sauvignon Blanc shows how versatile Marlborough's signature grape can be.
Regular price
$185.90 NZD
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$185.90 NZD
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Case of 6 bottles
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SWEET SAUVIGNON BLANC?
"We make it because it's cool."
FOOD MATCH
Food and wine pairing doesn't get much better than a glass or two of Jules' Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc matched with a sticky (or stinky!) cheese platter, garnished with caramelised figs and honey toasted nuts. Alternatively try the "Jules Taylor Affogato" - forget the coffee and pour this wine over your vanilla ice cream. It's a match made in heaven!
Get the recipe!
AROMAS & FLAVOURS
This wine has outstanding aromas of passionfruit curd, apricot jam and caramelised fig with a touch of white floral fragrance. The palate is decadently sweet with concentrated flavours of ripe passionfruit, apricot marmalade and a hint of candied citrus. A soft line of acidity from its Sauvignon Blanc heritage cuts through the sweetness to balance the rich flavours to perfection. Luscious!
TECHNICAL NOTES
The 2024 vintage was one of those times when Mother Nature created perfect conditions for wonderfully dehydrated berries and intensely flavoured viscous juice.
Passionfruit | Apricots | Marmalade | Candied figs
Picked 14th May & 6th June 2024
11.2% Alc | 157g/L RS | 3.73 pH | 8.9g/L TA
VINTAGE
Tiny Crop + Dry Season = Intense Flavours
A strong El Nino weather pattern dominated in 2024, causing strong winds and warm dry conditions down NZ’s east coast. Vine growth began late, and a light touch of frost combined with a relatively sparse flowering quickly made it clear that harvest would be much smaller than 2022 or 2023. Warm weather began in mid-December and continued through to March. However clear, cold nights retained fruit acidity during this period. Our first pick was Pinot Gris on the 8th March and the last block was a parcel of Sauvignon Blanc for the Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, picked on 6th June. All the 2024 fruit was packed with flavour due to the amazing growing conditions. It was an ideal vintage!
VINEYARDS
This parcel of grapes was picked in the Breloft Vineyard in the lower Dashwood area of the Awatere Valley where the cool sea air created the perfect conditions in 2024 for botrytis to kick in and the grapes to raisin perfectly on the vine.
WINEMAKING
We hand picked the grapes across two cool mornings in May and early June 2024. The raisined berries were crushed and pressed a first time. The juice from the initial pressing was chilled and returned to the press, allowing the skins to rehydrate, so we could obtain a little more of the precious nectar. The viscous juice was settled, then once clear, fermented in a small tank over the next four weeks. It was a slow affair due to the high concentration of sugars in the juice. Once the perfect balance of flavour and sweetness was achieved, we bottled in October 2024.
Is this wine vegan-friendly?
Yes - all of Jules' white and rosé wines are vegan-friendly.
Is this a dry or sweet wine?
It is lusciously sweet! It is a dessert-style wine, though fresh acidity keeps it from feeling heavy or cloying.
How is this made differently from Jules' classic Sauvignon Blanc?
The grapes for this Sauvignon Blanc are left on the vine into late autumn until they raisin, at least four weeks after the main Sauvignon Blanc harvest is finished. They are then handpicked and pressed twice — the second press rehydrates the skins to draw out extra concentrated, honeyed juice. Then they are left for a very slow, four-week fermentation. It is a very different process from the winemaking for Jules' regular Sauvignon Blanc.
Does this wine see any oak?
No - it's fermented in stainless steel to protect the wine's pure honeyed fruit character.
Why is so little of this wine made?
It depends on Mother Nature coming to the party - only certain vintages produce the grapes that can last on the vine long enough and concentrate their flavours enough to make this style - and one heavy rainfall at the wrong time might ruin it all! So it's only made in tiny quantities when conditions allow.
