Vintage: 2018
Origin: Marlborough, New Zealand
Taste guide: Dry, gooseberry and grapefruit flavours, hints of green pepper and pea shoots, elderfower notes, good minerality, unoaked
75cl - 13% - screwcap
Marlborough produces slightly different styles of Sauvignon Blanc. Some have passionfruit and tropical fruit flavours with hints of citrus, whilst others, such as this, are leaner with gooseberry and grapefruit flavours and just that little bit drier.
This wine was created specifically for a renowned importer for onward supply to the restaurant trade. It was produced from grapes grown in some of the better vineyards across Marlborough which were harvested in the early morning to preserve their flavour, then destemmed, crushed and lightly pressed with minimal skin contact. Fermentation was at low temperatures in stainless steel with selected yeast strains to preserve the inherent fruit flavours.
The 2018 vintage benefited from an excellent growing and harvesting season, to produce a ‘top’ wine displaying a sparkling pale straw green colour and an excellent full palate. The warm days and cool nights of Marlborough have produced the region's typical Sauvignon Blanc. It exhibits aromas of elderflower and gooseberry, which is followed through to the palate which shows grapefruit flavours coupled with grassy notes and hints of bell peppers and sugar snaps. Shows more minerality than most Marlborough Sauvignons and has a long clean finish, which is fresh and crisp. Has benefitted from a couple of years bottle ageing which has considerably softened the wine.
Offered on the importer's website at £11.65 and noted in restaurant wine lists at around £20.
Binendwines' price is just £7.25.
This vintage is still drinking very well and will continue to do so for a year or more.