Winemaker Notes
An abundance of crushed herbs and floral aromas mingle with subtle notes of honeydew melon and tropical fruits. Dry and salty to taste, persistent flavors of blackcurrant, citrus and kiwifruit are revealed alongside mouthwatering acidity. The zesty palate has a lovely chalky texture and a lively finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This shows pretty density for a sauvignon with spiced pears and sliced lemons. It’s medium-bodied with an aniseed undertone. Just a hint of fresh thyme.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2023 Sauvignon Blanc is vibrant, fresh, vital, thiol dense and layered with passionfruit, coriander, crunchy green apple and kiwi fruit. There's a lot to be said for drinking these wines immediately; that green crunchiness inherent in Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is pretty sensational when captured like this, most especially on a hot day. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
An icon and leading region of New Zealand's distinctive style of Sauvignon blanc, Marlborough has a unique terroir, making it ideal for high quality grape production (of many varieties). Despite some common generalizations, which could be fairly justified given that Marlborough is responsible for 90% of New Zealand's Sauvignon blanc production, the wines from this region are actually anything but homogenous. At the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island, the vineyards of Marlborough benefit from well-draining, stony soils, a dry, sunny climate and wide temperature fluctuations between day and night, a phenomenon that supports a perfect balance between berry ripeness and acidity.
The region’s king variety, Sauvignon blanc, is beloved for its pungent, aromatic character with notes of exotic tropical fruit, freshly cut grass and green bell pepper along with a refreshing streak of stony minerality. These wines are made in a wide range of styles, and winemakers take advantage of various clones, vineyard sites, fermentation styles, lees-stirring and aging regimens to differentiate their bottlings, one from one another.
Also produced successfully here are fruit-forward Pinot noirs (especially where soils are clay-rich), elegant Riesling, Pinot gris and Gewürztraminer.