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2009

At a time when “Savvy” prices are plunging quicker than Liz Hurley’s neckline, due at least in part to overplanting and overcropping, it is timely to take the challenge and look at the difference between “real wine” and the two-buck-chuck coming out of New Zealand’s so called “wine factories” which is often so cunningly positioned in the bottleneck between the veggie and meat sections at your local supermarket. Sure, there are major differences between the classic Marlborough style and those produced in other parts of the country but I am more concerned here with the weft and the warp, the wile and the weight, the way the grapes have been nurtured and the command the wine takes of your palate. The 2009 Sauvignon has an excellent level of extract, a combined result of the vines now coming to maturity and of a season which obviously suited the variety to a Tee!

With the surreal look of Gin Wigmores hair the wine is fighting fit, powerful and energised and the nose fair leaps out of the glass with the thick pervasive odour of a freshly stacked hay barn. Honeydew melon, rosehip and dried papaya linger and meld with fresh fig, brandysnap and recently pollinated foxglove while the final impression is of lemon meringue pie. The palate is a reassuringly staunch affair and not easily overlooked. A commanding structure built from slightly edgy phenolics and a broad yet calm acidity silhouette an almost tarry tactility. Draped over this is swirly sweet fruit which twists and squirms like snake lollies in a specimen jar. There is no cat scratching-post here! Power and impressionism lead to the fullness and serenity of a plump maiden aunt at a Christening. Hallelujah!

We believe our Sauvignon Blanc is best served at approximately 11 degrees Celsius.