Cloudy Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2016 $36 ★★★★½

5 April 2017By Yvonne

This new vintage of what’s become an Antipodean icon, has all the hallmarks of becoming another stunner. I say ‘becoming’ because despite this wine already boasting punchy basil, sweet pea, passionfruit and crunchy-fresh citrus and floral characters – I personally really love drinking this wine in the height of summer, a few months on from … Read More

Greystone Waipara Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc 2015 $22 (4.5stars)

4 April 2017By Yvonne

100% of the sauvignon blanc juice was fermented in French oak before a smidge (10%) was put through a malolactic ferment to add a creamy, textural layer.  After maturation in barrel for another  months before being bottled back in December, you’d expect this sauvignon to be seriously toasty.  However it’s remarkably herbaceous, floral and fresh, … Read More

The Boneline Waipara Sauvignon Blanc 2015 $23 (4 stars)

3 April 2017By Yvonne

The Tutton family are deeply connected to the Waipara River which runs through their property and has, over the years, offered up a smorgasbord of fossils. The Riverbone has a Megalodon tooth on the label, a tooth as big as owner Vic Tutton’s hand “It’s so lovely with perfect striations down each side of the … Read More

Seresin OSIP Organic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2016 $24 (3.5 stars)

3 April 2017By Yvonne

Named after an ‘extraordinary’ family relative of Seresin’s founder Michael Seresin, the OSIP wines are the result of a decade-long project to remove additions in the winery.  Winemaker Clive Dougall has used wild yeasts, and absolutely no sulphur or other non-naturals have been added.  Seresin have been producing certified organic and biodynamically grown wines since … Read More

Domaine Paul Buisse Touraine Sauvignon Blanc 2015 $29 (4 stars)

30 March 2017By Yvonne

Grown in the heart of France’s Loire region, this is a typically soft, fleshy sauvignon that’s stitched together with basil, hints of baked green capsicum and lime. Naturally concentrated and juicy, with tongue-prickling textural loveliness and a long, freshly floral finish. It’s so unlike what we in New Zealand are used to with sauvignon blanc … Read More

Greystone Waipara Sauvignon Blanc 2015

19 April 2016By Yvonne

Greystone Waipara Sauvignon Blanc 2015 $22 ★★★★½ This is one seriously tropical, juicy, succulent sauvignon blanc from the nor-wester buffetted, limestone-laden slopes of North Canterbury.  Deeply textural, powdery and mineral-edged, there’s a wildly tasty wave of nectarine, preserved lemon and crushed green herbs in every mouthful too.  Winemaker Dom Maxwell is an evil genius and … Read More

Ka Tahi Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015

19 April 2016By Yvonne

Ka Tahi Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 $15 ★★★ Wow!  Super-fruity and loaded with lemon, peach, passionfruit and lime, this is a snappy sauvignon that will really please the crowds.  It’s not an intellectual wine by any stretch, it’s just a Make sure you serve it chilled down to enhance the tangy texture.  For stockists near … Read More

Snapper Rock Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014

31 March 2016By Yvonne

Snapper Rock Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014 $15 ★★★★ A perfectly friendly, fruity, passionfruit-packed sauvignon boasting layers of lemon, lime, white stonefruit and all manner of tangy, tropical tastiness. Classic Marlborough sauvignon here, and a great little wine that often comes down a few more dollars on special. www.winebox.co.nz

Bellbird Spring ‘Block Eight’ Sauvignon Blanc 2013

22 March 2016By Yvonne

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

Te Mata Estate Cape Crest Sauvignon 2014

2 March 2016By Yvonne

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