Winemaker Notes
An exuberant Sauvignon Blanc, this wine reveals intense, lifted aromatics of tropical fruit that lead into a range of complex flavors, including distinct mineral notes accenting its rich, hefty palate, that last through a clean, crisp finish.
This fresh and juicy wine pairs perfectly with herb-crusted rack of lamb, seafood risotto with mussels, shrimp, and scallops, or a light spinach and goat cheese salad.
Professional Ratings
-
Tasting Panel
From selected lots along Marlborough’s coastal plain, this white imparts rich, tropical fruits that aid in broadening the palate feel. Grapefruit makes a dramatic entrance mid-palate and endures through the clean finish. Due to its sensational acid structure and explosive fruit, this sipper is a unique expression of this grape and its terroir.
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: Kim Crawford is one of the strongest brands in the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc category. The 2017 Signature Sauvignon Blanc is top-notch. TASTING NOTES: This wine is rich, complex and fine. Its aromas and flavors of dried herbs, citrus peel, grapefruit rind should provide an excellent pairing with a couple of dozen raw oysters on the half shell. (Tasted: July 27, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
-
Wine Spectator
Harmonious and expressive, with ruby grapefruit, mango and citrus flavors that are crisp, with lip-smacking acidity. A fleshy texture and notes of saline and lemon verbena linger on the finish.
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.