The day we came home from India we sat down in the sun on the deck with a good bottle of sauvignon blanc - one of the Villa Maria reserves. It epitomised the bright sunlight and the purity and freshness of New Zealand after eight weeks of noise, crowds, heat, dirt and dust.
Spinyback Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2012
$16
Four stars (out of five)
good value
Suggestions of hot river stones splashed with water, oodles of fruit flavours - passionfruit, melon, red capsicum and fresh guava, intense with a crisp, lively finish.
$19
three and a half stars (out of five)
average value
A pungent wine with herbal, floral and even sweaty aromas, ripe, sweet fruit flavours suggesting passionfruit and lemon, and a hint of mineral, balanced by a crisp dry finish.
$20
three and a half stars (out of five)
average value
Fragrant and zesty with lots of sweet fruit suggesting passionfruit, red capsicum and crisp green apple finishing with a lively crispness.
$20
three and a half stars (out of five)
average value
Aromas of herbs and green fruit with a hint of dusty gravel change to intense ripe passionfruit and melon in the mouth and finish with a crisp acidity.
$24
four stars (out of five)
average value
Lovely fruit aromas and flavours pervade this lively wine - ripe gooseberry, yellow capsicum, melon and a suggestion of freshly grated ginger, but it is also attractively weighty on the palate with a lingering aftertaste. The crisp acidity means it's best with rich food, especially cheese.
$29
four and a half stars (out of five)
average value
Pungent with hints of tangerine, freshly mown grass and a suggestion of sweat, this is a typically in-your-face Marlborough savvy, oozing a complexity of melon, passionfruit and fresh guava with a lively intensity and well balanced, crisp finish.
ANOTHER GLASS
Forrest The Doctors Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2012
$22
three stars (out of five)
below average value
This is one of the new, lower alcohol (9.5%) wines. They may have fewer calories from alcohol but that tends to mean less flavour and often more sweetness to fill out the gap in flavour. This is lightly flavoured with a hint of sweet fruit and mineral and a clean, crisp finish.
Brancott Estate Special Reserve Sauvignon Gris
$29
three stars (out of five)
below average value
Sauvignon gris is a mutation of sauvignon blanc and shares some of its herbaceousness, but may suit those who do not like the brash intensity of well-made sauvignon blanc. This is fragrant, almost floral, with hints of freshly mown grass, citrus and mineral with a crisp, refreshing acidity on the finish.
O:TU Blend 102 Sauvignon Blanc 2012
$29
four stars (out of five)
below average value
With a floral/herbal perfume and suggestions of ripe passionfruit and red capsicum, this has power, concentration and a crisp finish. Packaged in a smart bottle from a coastal vineyard in the Awatere, it's just the thing to knock back while lunching in a smart restaurant.
