Winemaker Notes
The 2019 Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc displays intense lifted aromas of passionfruit and citrus peel and hints of honeydew melon. The palate introduces a delightful citrus based mouth-watering intensity and finishes with a strong textural component.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Some attractive flowers and grassy elements with fresh limes and grapefruit pith, as well as a very juicy and fleshy array of vibrant, rich and bright melon that delivers a fresh, zesty and intense feel with so much flavor.
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine is a touch salty & flinty to start, which adds character to the notes of lemonline, gooseberry, pineapple rind, honeysuckle & green herbs wafting from the glass. A creamy yet chalky texture is woven with juicy fruit & prickly acidity, ending long & citrusy. Spicy Mexican or Thai cuisine has met its match.Editors' Choice
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Decanter
A good wine offering tropical fruit and grassy aromatics. Nice weight on the textural mid-palate. Perfect summer sipper.
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Wine Spectator
Lemon curd, Key lime and pear flavors are aromatic and intense, set on a smooth and juicy frame, with pretty details of lemongrass, candied ginger and nectarine. Lingering finish. Drink now.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2019 Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc is bright and distinctive. TASTING NOTES: This excellent wine offers nicely-focused aromas and flavors of dried, pungent herbs. Pair it with fresh goat cheese over a bed of arugula, baby spinach, and orange bell peppers. (Tasted: April 30, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
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.