Bellbird Spring ‘Block Eight’ Sauvignon Blanc 2013 $30 ★★★★★ This is a beautifully aromatic, organic sauvignon grown on Waipara’s ‘Glasnevin Gravels’. Made by Guy Porter, it shows soft, finely tuned oak influence, elderflower, white peach and lemony characters. It’s a stunning exercise in restraint with all the flavours and textures working in harmony, finishing with complex … Read More
sauvignon blanc
Te Mata Estate Cape Crest Sauvignon 2014
Te Mata Estate Cape Crest Sauvignon 2014 $30 ★★★★½ I love the fragrance of passionfruit curd, lemon blossom and hints of herbaceousness in this wine. Crafted from prime Hawke’s Bay sauvignon blanc, blended with a splash of semillon and sauvignon gris, it’s an out-there kind of style that’s less of a ‘sauvignon’ and more a … Read More
Fox Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014
Fox Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014 $18 ★★★½ This is a sweet, sweaty sauvignon crafted by 40-year winemaking veteran John Belsham and his team at Foxes Island Wines, and for the price it’s a darn good drink. Classic passionfruit and basil and even a splash of elderflower followed by a lick of lemongrass and lime. Nicely … Read More
Clos Marguerite Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015
Clos Marguerite Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 $27 ★★★★½ For me, sauvignon blanc’s like this absolutely scream their sense of place. From a mile away you can tell it’s from the Awatere Valley because of the gorgeous elderflower, lemon blossom, peach and lime perfume typical of the region that just romp from the glass. Delicate herbaceousnesss, … Read More
Hãhã Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015
Hãhã Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 $15.99 ★★★½ I’ve been trying to recall if there’s ever been a vintage of this wine that I’ve tasted and been less than wowed by. And there isn’t one. This shiny new example has intense lime, feijoa, gooseberry and classic passionfruit flavours abound. It’s juicy, generous and represents really good … Read More
Invivo Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015
Invivo Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 $19 ★★★★½ Prepare yourself for a smash up of snappy, crunchy capsicum, crushed basil, lemon sorbet and all manner of tropical tangy-ness. This is a seriously good sauvignon that’s clean, precise and pure and ticks all those boxes for stylish summer sipping. Don’t serve it too cold though, otherwise all those … Read More
Invivo Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015
Invivo Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 $19 ★★★★½ You won’t be disappointed with this crunchy, clean, passionfruit-packed sauvignon, in fact the minute you try it you’ll probably want to race down to the supermarket to grab a second bottle. Signature grassy notes, capsicum zingy juicy white nectarine, white pepper complexity and juicy length of flavour, make this … Read More
Music Bay ‘Summer’ Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015
Music Bay ‘Summer’ Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 $15 ★★★ This is one of those super-easy, ‘drink it, don’t overthink it’ wines that ticks all the boxes for all those good things like passionfruit, peach, hints of fresh herb, capsicum and cut grass flavours. It’s definitely a sauvignon to savour now – don’t go stashing it … Read More
Mahana Clays and Gravels Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2014
Mahana Clays and Gravels Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2014 $25 ★★★★ Previously known as ‘Woollaston Estate’, this is sauvignon blanc made ‘off road’ in that it’s about as far removed from the clean, green, crispy-clean style that New Zealand is famous for. Ripe fruit was fermented on its skins (to extract chew and astringency for texture), … Read More
Sacred Hill Orange Label Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015
Sacred Hill Orange Label Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 $19 ★★★★½ You can buy this wine pretty much everywhere, which is a good thing if you’ve a hankering for pungent, classic cut grass, lemony, limey notes, a twang of snappy acidity and a mid-palate rich in lemongrass, passionfruit, peach, pepper and a burst of basil. It’s … Read More