Blind River Sauvignon Blanc 2011

The Blind River Winery is located in the Awatere Valley in Marlborough region. The famous Awatere River divides the valley as it winds its way to the east coast. The closest major town is Blenheim which sounds more like a pumpkin than a town.

 

Blind River Sauvignon Blanc 2011

 

What increases the enjoyment level on Sav Blanc? For me it is mouth feel or texture as so many are fermented quickly without lees contact or barrel fermentation. This wine sees both and the mouth feel is beautiful. It is a little creamer as well but the acidity and flavour are bright and zesty. It wasn’t what I expected as I was thinking ‘just another typical blanc but it was much more than that. Think lemon grass, gooseberries with a fruit or tropical nature with zest on the back-palate pulling everything together.

 

Alcohol: 13%

Price: $18

Rated: 90

 

Drink: Now – 2016

3 Tales Sauvignon Blanc 2012

3 Tales Sauvignon Blanc 2012

Lemon grass, dried herbs and quava with a little sugared lemon. There is so much fruit it hits you with a hammer which is typical for the variety. At this price it is a lovely cafe style that offers something a little bit different. When compared to the 2011 version, this is a little too in your face but I still like it a lot.

Alcohool: 12.5%
Price: $15
Rated: 84
Drink: Now - 2015

Ra Nui Sauvignon Blanc 2012

Ra Nui Sauvignon Blanc 2012

Most of the Ra Nui wines are crafted from their Estate fruit which on tasting this is pretty damn good. Their is snow peas, lemon grass and ice crystals on the palate plus a pleasing textural element which is not normally associated with this variety at this price point.  It would put this wine half way between Greywacke or Dog Point at your typical Sav Blanc from this area. Just yum.

Alcohol: 13.4%
Price: $19
Rated: 87
Drink: Now or over the next few years

South Island Sauvignon Blanc 2012

The South Island label is a Woolworths home brand wine.

South Island Sauvignon Blanc 2012

The wine comes across as rather simple and short and doesn't really go much further than that. The flavour of passionfruit concentrate sorbet is nice but a little too sweet for my liking as it is not balanced out by acidity. I guess this is the sort of wine that could be consumed easily if I didn't think about it at all.

Alcohol: 12.5%
Price: $16
Rated: 78
Drink: Now

Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc 2012

Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc 2012

For such a cheap wine the entry of the flavours is rather snazzy. The initial bang is of kiwifruits, passionfruit sorbet, snowpeas and gooseberries before a set of sugar crystals hits the mid-palate. Once on the mid-palate the flavours peel themselves off before they disappear. Its a nice wine and goes to show that you can pick up easy drinking wines with a bit of complexity at around 10 bucks.  This would be beautiful to have a dozen during the month of December as people are always going to drop around for a quick merry Christmas tipple.

Alcohol: 13%
Price: $10
Rated: 84
Drink: This year

Hunters Pinot Noir 2010

Marlborough is more renowned for its Sauvignon Blanc rather than its Pinot Noir which means that many good quality wines from this area become a little devalued. This means good buying for everyone. This winery is family own and run but the winemaking is done by an Australian fellow. Gary Duke has worked at Hanging Rock before he ventured over the Tasman Sea which means he has had his fare share of cool climate vintages. While this is the first time I have tried a Hunters wine I was rather impressed with it.

 Hunters Pinot Noir 2010

Medium bodied with a little funk of the nose. The funk is only minor and seems to add interest and intrigue while the flavours of cherry and spice leads the way. The flavours meld well with the light tannin and there is only a minor hiccup on the back palate. For the money this is cool climate drinking at a good price.

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $25
Rated: 86
Drink: Now - 2015
Importer: Red & White

3 Tales Sauvignon Blanc 2011

Marlborough experienced a cool 2011 vintage which is perfect if you are after a more restrained style of Sauvignon Blanc.

3 Tales Sauvignon Blanc 2011

Even thought the first thing I notice about the wine is the fruit flavours of gooseberries and passionfruit, the wine is much more than that. In fact the profile is not overt at all, its more introverted and thoughtful than normal for this variety. It is the type of wine that doesn't look good too cold or too hot but if served just right will surprise the senses. In the end a little chalkiness added a bit of interest and enjoyment which would make it brilliant to drink as the weather warms up a bit.

Alcohol: 12.5%
Price: RRP $18 but you can find this for $13 which is a steal
Rated: 87
Drink: Now - 2015
Importer: De Bortoli

Seven Degrees Sauvignon Blanc 2011

New Zealand, like Australia, is going through a wine glut so I thought I should write something down about what happens to wine prices and the quality of wines during this period. In the lead up to the glut, market pressures suggest that people should plant more grape vines to satisfy the growing demand for consumption but generally too many people get involved and end up planting the variety in areas that wouldn't support quality production. A few years down the track and there is a huge amount of wine on the market which results in the price falling for the cost of grapes and the end bottle price for the consumers.  This can be a great thing for consumers as they can purchase some quality wines at amazing prices but buyers be warned.  In many cases the quality of so many other wines can drop.  Why? Well, if people want to survive in the industry they need to change how they produce their wines.  If the price of the bottle has dropped they may need to increase the amount of wine they produce to allow for the monetary short fall.  The bigger players may increase the amount of their own brands as they can buy in bulk which also puts pressure on the small guys. I'm not saying that is a bad thing but I think that all of the choices that have been made in recent times aren't useful for the long term success of the industry. It is only short sighted short term profit for a small number of players.  I foresee that the wine industry has 3 to 8 years of hardship before they reach the light at the end of the tunnel.

Seven Degrees Sauvignon Blanc 2011

Nine bucks a bottle and you will need to drink it fast as the flavours run like the wind off of your tongue. you will get a bit of passionfruit but not enough to satisfy a true New Zealand Savy Blanc lover.

Alcohol: 12%
Price: $9
Rated: 75
Drink: Now

Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2011

Greywacke keeps on producing wines of style and funk that are both highly regional yet offer so much more to the wine world. Kevin believes that part of his success comes from the grey sandstone rocks that these vines are grown in.  If that was solely the case I would be going around transplanting these rocks into my vineyard.  What Kevin doesn't say his how much craft and soul he manages to weave into his wines that is totally different from what you normally get from this variety in this region.

Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2011

The catch word for the day is restraint! A lot of Aussie winemakers say that the New Zealand versions are over the top but you couldn't say that about this wine as you can feel each flavour is trying to burst out of this wine but is coiled up in coolness and verve. It is like a world class poker player not letting anything go yet you can feel that he or she could pounce at any stage. There is power to this wine but it controlled perfectly with a tort acid line while every flavour fills your mouth and leaves you refreshed. For the money this is very hard to beat.

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $22
Rated: 89+
Drink: Now or over the next three or four years
Importer: Negociants

Fromm Clayvin Vineyard Pinot Noir 2008

Fromm winery is situated in the north of the South island in New Zealand in a town called Blenheim.  This area is one of the driest and sunniest in New Zealand which has made it easy to produce distinctive Sauvignon Blanc wines.  This winery has focused on producing Pinot Noir from many single vineyards within the area.

Fromm Clayvin Vineyard Pinot Noir 2008

God these New Zealand Pinots taste ultra cool which is more reminiscent of French Pinot than the Aussie version just across the Tasman Sea. This almost tastes crunchy with a huge amount of damp earth running through the core of this wine. The earth is beautifully mixed with plum and sour cranberries that transition from flavour to flavour calmly in a lingering manner.  The medium bodied palate is both silky and rambunctious which adds to the overall appeal of this gorgeous wine. This is the sort of wine that testifies to the high quality that New Zealand makes look so easy.

Alcohol: 14%
Price: $65
Rated: 93
Drink: Now - 2019
Importer: Negociants

Saint Clair Family Estate Gruner Veltliner 2011

Gruner Veltliner is one of my favourite varieties so it is great to taste one from a new area. This variety loves the same conditions as Riesling so New Zealand should be a great fit. This is the first release of Gruner from this winery so I expect things over the first few years to greatly improve while they figure out how to get the best out of this variety.

Saint Clair Family Estate Gruner Veltliner 2011

The wine starts out with a lovely floral component with a little lemon, struck quart and peach with a melange of spice adding interest.  Once it is one my palate there is a sweet oaky element that takes over and dominates. While I like the smell, the oak is a little too much which leaves my unrefreshed.  For the money it does offer a lot of enjoyment but in a full bodied style.

Alcohol: 14%
Price: $18
Rated: 85
Drink: Now
Importer: Negociants

Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2011

Brancott Estate was the first to plant vineyards in the Marlborough region so they should be considered the pioneers of the savvy revolution. They used to be named Montana but the marketing team decided to change the name to the original vineyard name that was planted in 1973. They are owned by one of the big boys and the wines are readily available at bargain basement prices.

Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2011

I would almost say that you can smell this wine before I open the bottle as the flavours are that intense. Once open you get the typical flavours of snowpeas, passionfruit and some flowery lemon drops. The wine gets up in your face and never lets me go.  On the palate is it the exact same thing but the mid-palate lets it down a bit.  The mid-palate is a little muddled and dilute when compared to the rest of the wine but this wine does deliver all those Marlborough purity and a likeable flow of flavours. For the money this wine is very good value.

Alcohol: 13%
Price: $13
Rated: 84
Drink:: Now

Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2011

Cheap Sav Blanc from Marlborough can be like playing with a loaded gun.

Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2011

This wine sharp acidity before moving into candied passionfruit territory and then falling flat on its face. The middle of the wine is far too sweet, while the wine generally lacks balance.

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $13
Rated: 76
Drink: Now

Greywacke Wild Sauvignon 2009

I met Kevin Judd yesterday and you wouldn't take him for a winemaker.  Why? He is on a health kick which brings up ideas of running along the beach in the soft sand, eating fruits during summer and limiting your alcohol intake. What about the joys of cheese I say? A fitness fanatic will have none of that. Now to his wine! This wine is made in a natural manner with wild ferment commencing in oak with lees stirring occurring over the 12 months.

Greywacke Wild Sauvignon 2009

This is nothing like any other new world Sauvignon Blanc that I've tried.  It is funky and creamy as it enters my mouth with the flavours slowly revealing themselves.  Intensity yet restraint with pure brightness of flavour mixed with fantastic length and a mouthfilling brilliance.  Could this be the top Sav from New Zealand? It is beautiful and complex with a vibrant acidity chiseled into the heart of the wine. If you can find a bottle buy it! 

Alcohol: 13.6%
Price: $32
Rated: 92
Drink: Now - 2015
Importer: Negociants

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2010

Oyster Bay Savvy is the largest selling wine in Australia.  I thought I had to get on it and see what all the fuss was about.  Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough has a very pronounced flavour profile which can easily be identified. Many from Australia wine making fraternity score the wines down as they say they are too obvious however I think that is more a case of envy than a true indication of the quality of wine from this region. On top of the nature of these wines a lot of wine makers are experimenting with different types of fermenting techniques which will result in a great diversity of flavours and textures.   

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2010

Passion fruit and snow-peas explode from the glass with a hint of sugar crystals and spicy grass adding interest.  There is a nice pure acidity freshening up the finish.  So the verdict?  Not bad at all. Not brilliant but not bad and rather good value.

Alcohol: 13%
Price: $15
Rated: 85
Drink: Now