Winemaker Notes
Very pale yellow. Classic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc aromas of lifted citrus, tropical fruit, and crushed herbs. A fresh, juicy wine with vibrant acidity and plenty of weight and length on the palate. Ripe, tropical fruit flavor with passion fruit, melon, and grapefruit.
Pairs brilliantly with fresh oysters, asparagus, lobster, or summer salads.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Grapefruit nose; juicy and bright citrus with a smooth, ripe hint of sweetness on the back of the palate. Layered and mellow, long and balanced.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2019 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc is appealing and an excellent example of its category. TASTING NOTES: This wine exhibit aromas and flavors of dried lemon peel, grapefruit skin, and dried earth. Enjoy it with a dozen raw oysters. (Tasted: July 8, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Enthusiast
After a string of tough vintages that didn’t wear well on this famous brand’s Sauvignons, the latest release is back up to snuff. Heady notes of lime blossom, peach and gooseberry lead the pack, with subtle aromas of green bell pepper and dried herbs following, to remind you where you are in the Sauvignon Blanc world. In the mouth a creamy texture and fleshy fruit are freshened by lively acidity. Juicy lime on the finish makes it easy to take another sip, especially if a plate of sushi or spicy southeast Asian food is nearby
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.