Winemaker Notes
Forrest Wines Sauvignon Blanc has a pale straw-yellow color, and a complex mix of aromas, including passionfruit, grapefruit, elderflower and flowering blossoms. Guava, passionfruit, aromatic herbs, lemon, thyme and sage, with hints of white flowers, are evident on the palate. It’s full and generous in the mouth, yet crisp, refreshing and dry, with just a hint of salty minerality on the finish.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Here's a shimmering textbook example of Marlborough's claim to fame. Intense aromas of grapefruit and passion fruit with an array of herbs-basil, mint, dill-are mirrored on a palate that beams like sunshine while showing a bit of textural flesh accentuated by lemon blossom on the finish.
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James Suckling
Shows plenty of typicity with melon and green apple, as well as pear drops on the nose and palate. Medium body with kiwi fruit, lemon and some green melon. Creamy finish. Delicious and reserved.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2023 Sauvignon Blanc leads with pineapple husk and green apple, white pear, vanilla pod and juniper. In the mouth, the wine is tight and racy, with crushed shells, apple skins and brine aplenty. This is a pretty wine here. I like the lightness and gentle precision of the 2023s on show here. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw ap.
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.