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.
BEST VALUE
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.
www.waimeabrands.com
Mills Reef Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2012
$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.
www.millsreef.co.nz
Waimea Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2012
$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.
www.waimeabrands.com
Tohu Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2012
$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.
www.tohuwines.co.nz
O:TU Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2012
$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.
www.otuwine.com
Brancott Estate Special Reserve Sauvignon Blanc
2012
$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.
www.brancottestate.com
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.
www.forrest.co.nz
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.
www.brancottestate.com
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.
www.otuwine.com
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