Winemaker Notes
A classic representation of Sauvignon Blanc from the Wairau Valley in Marlborough, bursting with aromatic tropical fruit characters found in this warmer sub-region. This wine displays powerful aromas of blackcurrant, passionfruit and ripe rock-melon. The palate has an enticing array of ripe citrus fruits mixed with pungent herbs such as fresh rosemary, finishing with subtle acidity.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
With a salty, beeswax-like richness up front, there's honey and white spice amidst the lime blossom, grapefruit and passionfruit notes that make up the core fruit flavors. They're backlit by tomato leaf and green-herbal nuances. The palate has lovely depth and a slippery textural component that's lifted by crunchy acidity and a herb-flecked finish.
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James Suckling
White asparagus, guavas, gooseberries, fine herbs and chalk to the nose. The medium-bodied palate shows excellent flavor intensity and freshness. Sustainable. Drink now.
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Vinous
This intense and aromatic Wairau Valley–sourced 2021 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve packs plenty of concentration in its punchy core. While round and fruity, bursting with passionfruit, snow pea, elderflower and lemongrass flavors, there's a bright citrusy character with a line of tension drawing this out on the medium-length finish. There's a lot of wine here, showing yet again that 2021 is a excellent year for quality Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough.
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Wine Spectator
Mouthwatering and vibrant, with a note of salted melon, peach, mango and dried ginger on a juicy, succulent frame, showing plenty of intensity 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.