Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
The storms that hit Marlborough in April 2008 headed off to sea, missing Martinborough. So winemaker Adrian Baker says there was no rain pressure during harvest at Craggy Range, where the 2008 ripened to rich passion fruit flavors. Baker allowed a thrid of the wine to ferment with indigenous yeast, and fermented a small portion in the barrel. The result is a potent, generous Sauvignon with lasting spice and saturated fruit flavor. Decant it for crab.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
With fruit sourced from Martinborough, the 2008 Te Muna Road Sauvignon Blanc has a very well defined, very pure nose with just a touch of chalkiness coming through, complemented with a faint hint of greengage. The palate is neutral on the entry – this Sauvignon is more about poise and freshness with subtle notes of green apple, lime and orange-blossom towards the finish. Excellent.
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.
Part of the Wairarapa region in the southern end of the country’s North Island, Martinborough is a bucolic appellation full of artisan, lifestyle wine producers. Above all else, their goals are to tend vineyards for low yields and create wines of supreme quality. Pinot noir is the main grape variety here, occupying over half of the land under vine.
Comparing topography, climate and soils, the region is nearly identical to Marlborough except that it produces top quality reds on the regular.