Brancott Estate, Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, 2022, Marlborough, New Zealand
Another excellent wine from Tesco. At £12 a bottle it’s keenly price for the quality. Made from Sabro and Sauvignon Blanc grapes it’s dry, crisp, clean, refreshing with good length of flavours, citrus and hints of lime all in the right proportions.
Aldi, Marlborough Sounds, Sauvignon Blanc, 2023, Marlborough, New Zealand
Another New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from Aldi, although at £9.99 a bottle a bit more pricey than the usual offerings. It’s dry, reasonably light with subtler flavours. More citrus than gooseberry, more French than New Zealand. Can this be thd wine to change the minds of people buying Sauvignon Blanc from Aldi that it’s worth trading up? Probably, great wine especially with pizza, zesty salad or fish.
Villa Maria, Private Bin, Sauvignon Blanc, 2022, New Zealand
I do like a good Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, a Grey Wackie for example but this one from Villa Maria has a slightly different take on the traditional style. It’s dry, has good body and acidity. There are aromas and flavours of pineapple and grapefruit with a little lemon. The usual gooseberry hit is low on the list, it’s there but you need to concentrate to find it. One I’ll happy drink again. At £10 a bottle it’s good value
Babich, Sauvignon Blanc, 2021, New Zealand
Another New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, can it get any more boring? Thus is a rather good one, dry, reasonably light, refreshing with decent flavours and aromas. Lime, citrus, pineapple, hints of gooseberry and green apple. At £14 a bottle it should be decent and it delivers.
Eradus, Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, Marlborough, New Zealand
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is pretty much in gained into British wine drinking society now and for good reason which this one from Eradus shows. Tropical flavours of pineapple, lemon, grapefruit and peach with a little green apple and gooseberry all nicely tied together. It’s dry, crisp and perfect for summer.
At £15 a bottle it’s possibly a little over priced but it’s a good solid Sauvignon Blanc.
Marisco, Pride and Glory, Sauvignon Blanc, 2015, New Zealand
This is the first Sauvignon Blanc from Marisco that I have tried and and the name is quite correct, they can certainly claim pride and glory in what they produced.
You get tropical notes with a bit of gooseberry a little butter and vanilla on the nose and flavours that are subtle reasonably complex but well integrated hint of oak finishes this off and it’s certainly an excellent wine it’s just a shame at £35 a bottle it’s out of reach of most people. The one that is equally as good and half the price that should be tried is the Greywacke standard range Sauvignon Blanc.
O:TU, Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, love it or hate it, its a Marmite wine. This one from O:TU is very good, not outstanding but theres lots to like about it.
Its a dry, acidic white with decent body and length of flavour. There are aromas and flavours of lemon, lime, grapefruit and gooseberry with a little green apple and hints of ripe melon.
Its no Greywacke but its a decent wine.
Pinot Gris is not a grape name that many go too, esp over Pinot Grigio but this Pioneer Block from Saint Clair show why this ia great white wine and why New Zealand is getting a reputation for excellent wines. Pinot Gris is Pinot Grigio, the difference is style where Pinot Gris is full on flavour as Pinot Grigio is full on necking, at least in the UK!
Its fragrant flowery aroma wine with flavours of ripe fruit, pear, melon with a richer, oily texture than found in many white wines. Its a wine to sip or to have with cheese in from of the fire.
At £13.50 a bottle its not cheap but but pretty good, one for a special occasion.
Saint Clair, Pioneer Block, Pinot Gris, 2014, New Zealand
New Zealand does great Pinot Noir and pretty good Sauvignon Blanc. It can do Chardonnay but this one from Stoneleigh, Repaura Series, Chardonnay is not one to drink. The aromas are oak followed by oak followed by oak. There are notes of condensed lemon in the nose but not a great initial feeling. It doesn’t get any better when you taste it, far too much oak. The wife thinks it should have been laid down for a few more years and that should allow the flavours to come out.
At £10 a bottle is not expensive for NZ wine but for a drink now wine it doesn’t work.
Stoneleigh, Repaura Series, Chardonnay, 2018, Marlborough, New Zealand
There are 2 types of Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, cheap and expensive and this one from Framingham is the later. At £15 a bottle its not Greywacke Wild Sauvignon price but a lot of people will see this at twice the price of what they would expect when they taste it. At £15 you are into the standard Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc which is far superior.
There are aromas of grapefruit and gooseberry which are joined by flavours of lemon and hints of green apple. Its all a bit harsh and acid based rather than elegant. Its more like a £6.99 bottle from Tesco. Its not terrible but get a bottle of Greywacke and see the light.
Framingham, Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, New Zealand