Classic Marlborough sauvignon blanc, assertive and overflowing with vibrant aromas and flavours may be what New Zealand is known for, but toned-down styles with texture and complexity are sometimes more interesting and often more food friendly.
BEST VALUE
$20
Four stars (out of five)
Good value
Fragrant, oozing green fruits, gooseberry, passionfruit, capsicum and mineral, this is a lovely ripe, mouth-filling wine, intense, with a lively, long finish.
tohuwines.co.nz
$21
Four stars
Good value
With passionfruit, blackcurrant leaf and gooseberry aromas, vibrant green fruits, and a suggestion of mineral and stone fruit, this is classic assertive Marlborough sauvignon, wonderfully intense and vivacious with a nicely balanced, crisp finish.
saintclair.co.nz
$5*
Four stars
Good value
The handy single serve plastic Nano bottles with attached glass contain the same wine as the Sileni cellar selection range - this 2013 sauvignon oozes attractive green fruits with hints of canned peas, mineral, texture, intensity and a lingering aftertaste. * equivalent to $20 for a 750ml
bottlesileni.co.nz
$23
Four stars
Average value
From Hawkes Bay, this hints of melon and cashew nuts, but it's the weight in the mouth and the dry texture and structure that I particularly enjoyed. It's good with a range of food.
millsreef.co.nz
$25
Five stars
Good value
Pungent and slightly funky with aromas of ripe green fruits, oozing tropical passionfruit, green kiwi, fresh guava, and a nuance of smoky oak, this is delicious and mouth-filling, complex and with a powerful, long aftertaste.
amisfield.co.nz
$30
Four stars
Average value
With hints of creamy oak and herbs, suggestions of passionfruit, canned asparagus and fresh guava, this is intense and mouth-filling with underlying hints of nuts and a long aftertaste.
tohuwines.co.nz
ANOTHER GLASS
Villa Maria Private Bin Light Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014
$16
Three stars
Average value
Fragrant with a hint of green fruits, gooseberries and mineral, this low-alcohol (9%) wine is light in the mouth with a little sweetness, delicate flavours and a very crisp acidity.
villamaria.co.nz
Graham Norton's Sauvignon Blanc Wairau Valley by Invivo 2014
$20
Three and a half stars
Average value
Invivo took some freshly picked grapes to UK chat show host Graham Norton to crush with his feet on his show, and added to this grassy sauvignon. It oozes mineral and fresh greenery with pungent suggestions of fresh guava, crisp green apple and gooseberry with a fresh, lively finish.
invivowines.com
