There's a glut of sauvignon blanc (and other wine) at present so you may well find many on special. Those in this tasting are recently released and almost a year old and many have ellowed, making them more attractive than they probably were when first bottled.
BEST UNDER $20
$15
One of the best value sauvignons, this hints of fresh guavas, herbs and grass, with a crisp, lively finish supporting the fruit.
Good value
Three stars (out of five)
BEST UNDER $20
$19
Fragrant and mouthfilling with oodles of fruit - melon, fresh guava,kiwi, pineapple, passionfruit and stonefruit - this attractive, fruitsalady wine more harmonious than most, off-dry on the palate but tingly and crisp on the finish.
wildsouthwines.co.nz
Good value
Four stars
$16
Harder to find, but well worth it if you do, this wine from the Kapiti coast oozes delicious tropical fruit, melon with undertones of asparagus and dusty gravel. It's intense and off dry with bright,assertive finish. Available by mail order.
Good value
Three stars
$18
Like many New Zealand sauvignons this wine oozes passionfruit and gooseberries with an undertone of mineral and finishes with a crisp, zingy intensity, but it's well balanced and more harmonious than many.
Good value
Three stars
$26
This wine is in the grassy, mineral spectrum compared with some of the sweet, fruitsalady sauvignons. Bright, herbaceous with hints of flint and a steely dry finish.
Below average value
Three stars
$25
Sileni produces several individual block sauvignons with varying characters, but this appealed to me most with its attractive fruit suggesting ripe melon and golden peach, and slightly more complexity than the others.
Average value
Four stars
ANOTHER GLASS
$18
With a label featuring a green postage stamp, this wine hints of fresh guava and crisp green fruits and has a dry, slightly hard finish.
Average value
Two stars
$23
This brand has been around a long time. It's a lively zingy wine with hints of gooseberry and tropical fruit and a very crisp, slightly hard finish.
Below average value
Three stars
$25
Fragrant with hints of lime and stonefruit, this is a lighter style of sauvignon, but fuller in the mouth and a softer acidity than many of the Marlborough wines.
Below average value
Three stars
Although wine sent for review is tasted blind to eliminate preconceptions, all wine tasting nd evaluation is subjective. These are personal recommendations. charmian.smith@odt.co.nz
Two stars - simple, clean, enjoyable wine; three stars - good wine with varietal characteristics; four stars - very good wine with some outstanding characteristics; five stars - outstanding wine with balance and harmony that leaves you with a sense of wonder.
