Marlborough

The 2016 vintage was awarded 90 points and Highly Recommended status by Decanter (www.decanter.com) in their August 2017 edition review of New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs (see blue link below).

Ata Rangi SB 2016 - August 2017 Decanter review

Ata Rangi is owned and run by Clive Paton and his wife Phyll, together with Clive's sister Alison and winemaker Helen Masters. Clive planted the bare, stony five hectare home paddock at the edge of Martinborough in 1980 and, in doing so, was one of a handful of people who pioneered grape growing in the area. Renowned for their Pinot Noir, which is consistently ranked as one of New Zealand's best, Ata Rangi also produces a range of white wines including Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Established in 1985, Cloudy Bay was one of the first five wine makers to venture into Marlborough. At the time, it was almost an unimaginable place to set-up a vineyard but Cloudy Bay’s founder, David Hohnen, was convinced of its potential to produce great wine and invested in the best land of the region. The winery was named after Cloudy Bay, a body of water explorer Captain James Cook found during his voyage to New Zealand in 1770. His discovery coincided with flooding in the region, which washed large amounts of sediment into the sea. Noticing the water’s opaque appearance, Cook christened the area Cloudy Bay. 

Powerful and exotic, the 2015 Chardonnay is an embodiment of the artistry and the craft of Cloudy Bay. The grapes are sourced from four vineyard blocks located in separated sub-regions: Brancott, Fairhall, Ben Morven and Central Wairau Valley. The vines are planted on a mix of free-draining gravel and loam based soils.

In 2015 there was an immediate clarity of Chardonnay flavour from the moment that the fruit was received in the winery. The harvest season commenced on March 13th and culminated on March 31st.

After gentle pressing, the juice was pumped into barrels. The vinification utilised naturally occurring yeast populations to undergo a wild fermentation. A portion of the wine was fermented with full solids in order to build additional texture and complexity in the wine. After fermentation the wine rested in French oak barrel for one year of maturation.

Jim White, Technical Director at Cloudy Bay says the following of Cloudy Bay Chardonnay 2015: "The 2015 Chardonnay is savoury and complex, a wine whose deftly woven aromatics give way to power on the palate."

The aromas include exotic flavours of orange blossom and preserved lemon with an undertow of smokey lees character. The flavour has the classic characters of zesty grapefruit and citrus rind. The wine lingers with roasted hazelnut notes and linseed flavours on the finish.

Established in 1985, Cloudy Bay was one of the first five wine makers to venture into Marlborough. At the time, it was almost an unimaginable place to set-up a vineyard but Cloudy Bay’s founder, David Hohnen, was convinced of its potential to produce great wine and invested in the best land of the region. The winery was named after Cloudy Bay, a body of water explorer Captain James Cook found during his voyage to New Zealand in 1770. His discovery coincided with flooding in the region, which washed large amounts of sediment into the sea. Noticing the water’s opaque appearance, Cook christened the area Cloudy Bay. 

Cloudy Bay has built a reputation for refined, elegant Sauvignon blanc, and the 2017 vintage is no exception despite critical harvest conditions: lower quantities to meet high quality standards. The vineyards are located in the Rapaura, Fairhall, Renwick and Brancott sub-regions of the Wairau Valley. The vines are planted on free-draining gravel based soils with shallow sandy-loam horizons.

The Sauvignon Blanc 2017 harvest commenced on April 1st and was completed on April 20th. Grapes were picked with ripe flavours and great acid balance.

Following harvest, the free-run juice was cold settled for 48-72 hours before racking. Fermentation was primarily carried out in stainless steel tanks with a mixture of cultured yeasts and wild yeast. Approximately 3% of the blend was fermented at warmer temperatures in old French oak barriques and large format vats. As usual this sauvignon blanc was stringently blended, including only the strongest batches.

Jim White, Technical Director at Cloudy Bay says the following of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2017:  “Cloudy Bay 2017 Sauvignon Blanc is an excellent vintage that reveals an elegant and concentrated palate with ripe, juicy stone fruit and lemongrass, supported by a lovely minerality. Its crisp acidity leads to a mouth-watering and persistent finish suggesting a Sauvignon Blanc that will age well.” 

The aromas are bright. Lifted citrus aromatics of Kaffir lime and grapefuit abound, supported by ripe nectarine-like stone fruit notes. An elegant, concentrated palate reveals ripe, juicy stone fruit and lemongrass, supported by a lovely minerality.

Cloudy Bay broke the winemaking rules to create a sophisticated style of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc made through wild fermentation and aging in old French oak.

The Te Koko is made from a blend of six of Cloudy Bay's Sauvignon Blanc vineyards located within the Rapaura, Brancott and Renwick sub-regions. The vines are planted on free-draining gravel based soils with shallow sandy-loam horizons.

After gentle pressing and settling for a period of 24 hours, the juice was racked directly to French oak barrels (8% new) where it underwent a slow and steady fermentation that was initiated by indigenous yeasts. The wine rested in barrel on fine lees until the spring of 2016. Whilst in barrel, the wine underwent a partial malolactic fermentation. Careful maturation in the cellar creates the unique texture and acid profile of Te Koko, with the resultant wine reposing a delicate balance.

On the nose there are aromas of grapefruit and white nectarine displaying a fresh counterpoint to the richer notes of lemon curd and beeswax. The palate is tightly focussed with a taut entry.The finish is an amalgamation of nectarine, glacé fruit and a subtle smoky oak complexity. Floral characters linger in the background.

Awarded 91 points and Highly Recommended status by Decanter (www.decanter.com) in their November 2018 article on Sweetness in Wine (see blue link below).

Framingham Pinot Gris 2016 - Nov 2018 Decanter review

Awarded 88 points and Recommended status by Decanter (www.decanter.com) in their September 2018 edition panel tasting of "Alternative" New Zealand Whites (not Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay) (see blue link below)...

Framingham Pinot Gris 2016 - Sept 2018 Decanter review

Please click the blue link below to see Framingham's excellent information and tasting note for this wine.

Framingham Pinot Gris 2016 - fiche technique

Rich gold in colour, this wine delights with mellow aromatics, which are reminiscent of pear, apple, quince, dough and cream, with a touch of wood smoke. On the palate, generous flavours of baked apple, quince, cream, nuts and pastry. The intense, complex and rich palate balances acidity with good weight and a silky texture, culminating in a spicy, leesy finish.

This wine was awarded 89 points and Highly Recommended status in Decanter's February 2018 review of New Zealand Chardonnay. They say "An elegant Chardonnay beaming with tropical fruit, pineapple, ginger and creme brulee sprinkled with toasted hazelnuts, finishing with a warm lick."

Greywacke was created in 2009 by Kevin Judd, chief winemaker at Cloudy Bay from its inception for 25 years and instrumental in the international recognition which Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc enjoys now. The name 'Greywacke' was adopted by Kevin for his first Marlborough vineyard located in Rapaura in recognition of the high prevalence of rounded greywacke river stones in the soils of the vineyard, a sedimentary rock which is widely found in Marlborough. Kevin Judd is also New Zealand's finest wine photographer and has recently published a book 'The Landscape of New Zealand Wine'.

The grapes for this wine are primarily sourced from the low-yielding Mendoza clone, known for its concentration of flavour and crisp acidity; the balance were from Clone 95. The majority of the fruit was sourced from the lower reaches of the Brancott Valley and Fairhall, grown in gravelly, clay-loam soils, the remainder coming from Rapaura, grown in young alluvial soils containing high proportions of New Zealand’s ubiquitous greywacke river stones. All vineyards were trained on a two-cane VSP trellis.

The vineyards were hand-picked separately at high ripeness levels and fruit was whole bunch pressed. The resulting juice was lightly settled and racked to French oak barriques (20% new).The juice underwent spontaneous indigenous yeast fermentation, the final phase continuing for many months. The wine received occasional lees stirring and underwent a complete malolactic fermentation. It was transferred out of oak after 18 months and bottled in December 2015.

A deliciously rich amalgam of pink grapefruit, figs and baked apples intertwine with more savoury characters redolent of meadow hay, toasted hazelnuts and buttered brioche. This grapefruit and nutty savouriness pervades the crisp, dry palate, while the power and concentration of the Mendoza clone creates an extraordinarily long finish that lingers and lingers.

Greywacke was created in 2009 by Kevin Judd who was the chief winemaker at Cloudy Bay for 25 years. The name 'Greywacke' was adopted by Kevin for his first Marlborough vineyard located in Rapaura in recognition of the high prevalence of rounded greywacke river stones in the soils of the vineyard, a sedimentary rock which is widely found in Marlborough. Kevin Judd is also New Zealand's finest wine photographer and has recently published a book 'The Landscape of New Zealand Wine'.

Greywacke was created in 2009 by Kevin Judd, chief winemaker at Cloudy Bay from its inception for 25 years and instrumental in the international recognition which Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc enjoys now. The name 'Greywacke' was adopted by Kevin for his first Marlborough vineyard located in Rapaura in recognition of the high prevalence of rounded greywacke river stones in the soils of the vineyard, a sedimentary rock which is widely found in Marlborough. Kevin Judd is also New Zealand's finest wine photographer and has recently published a book 'The Landscape of New Zealand Wine'.

Awarded 92 points and Highly Recommended status by Decanter (www.decanter.com) in their May 2018 column, "Weekday Wines" (see blue link below).

Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2017 - May 2018 Decanter review

A refreshing sorbet-like medley of fresh lychee, grapefruit and honeydew melon laced with flinty minerality and finished with an infusion of mandarin and lime zest. A lively, invigorating wine with persistent grapefruit flavours and a steely blackcurrant tang. Crisp with a long, enduring finish.  

This is an alternative style of Sauvignon Blanc that is both intricate and textural. An intriguing fusion of homemade apricot jam and lime marmalade is layered with dried tarragon and a doughy, flinty complexity. The palate is loaded with succulent fruit, pithy citrus rind and laced with minerality - a `wild child` Sauvignon with weight and persistence that finishes with a crisp grapefruit twist.

Classically styled and characteristic of Hunters trademark Sauvignon Blanc, this wine immediately shows a mixture of passionfruit, crisp apple and citrus fruit aromas. The refreshing multilayered palate exhibits a blend of ripe tropical fruit, sweet herbs

Kim Crawford Wines was established in late 1996, when Kim launched a range made from fruit grown in the South Island. Kim sold the company to Constellation in 2005 and has since handed the winemaking reins over to the Constellation winemaking team. Despite Kim no longer being involved with these wines, the current winemakers continue the classic Kim Crawford philosophy and style. Control over grape supply has always been essential for Kim Crawford Wines and they now have the largest vineyard resource in Marlborough of any wine company, across the greatest breadth of sub-regions, ensuring consistency of quality and style.

Mamaku was born from their desire to carry the torch and continue the tradition of great New Zealand winemaking. Mamaku’s aim is to create wine that is identifiably New Zealand using varieties that are proven to work well in the soils and conditions. This wine is from Marlborough, an area now synonymous with fine quality Sauvignon Blanc.

Vibrant flavours and zingy fresh acidity are the markers of New Zealand’s Marlborough region. This wine shows these bright characters in spades. The Mamaku winemakers have chosen grapes from the Awatere, Ure and Wairau valleys to create just the right blend of deep, fruity ripeness and tongue-tingling crispness in this Sauvignon. It is unoaked.

Mamaku is a classic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with flavours of passion fruit, ripe tropical fruits and a racy citrus finish. This wine is perfect as an aperitif or with canapés and seafood.

Neal and Judy Ibbotson were pioneers in the Marlborough wine industry, first planting vineyards in the valley in 1978 and then establishing Saint Clair Family Estate in 1994. They own 160 hectares of vineyard in 10 different Marlborough locations chosen specifically for the attributes of their individual "terroir" and ability to produce top quality grapes. Neal Ibbotson combines his extensive expertise in viticulture with the talent of one of New Zealand's leading winemaking teams led by Hamish Clark. Since 1994, when wines from the first vintage all won medals including gold, the name Saint Clair has been synonymous with quality and its award-winning record continues today. This is a sentiment shared by Bob Campbell MW, who says “Saint Clair now makes the country’s and perhaps the world’s best Sauvignon Blanc”.

The Saint Clair 2015 harvest started slightly earlier than normal and the yields were moderate to low. However the grapes were harvested in pristine condition, resulting in excellent fruit concentration and a great flavour spectrum.

The grapes come from three rows of vines in one of Saint Clair’s best vineyards in the lower Wairau subregion of Marlborough. The vineyard soils are nutrient rich and free draining. The maritime climate and close proximity to the sea create a high diurnal temperature difference resulting in a long ripening period, concentrating the fruit flavours, while retaining refreshing acidity. The fruit is left to hang a week longer than the fruit for Saint Clair’s traditional Sauvignon Blanc. The grapes are hand-harvested, with only the highest quality bunches being selected.

The grapes were whole bunch pressed, briefly settled then racked into seasoned French oak barriques. The juice was inoculated with a selected yeast strain. Post fermentation the wine was aged on its lees for nine months, with twice weekly barrel stirring and underwent spontaneous malolactic fermentation. Each barrel was tasted regularly by the winemaking team and only the very best and most interesting barrels were selected for the final blend. The wine was lightly fined and filtered prior to bottling.

Complex aromas of green coffee bean and vanilla pod are complemented by notes of wild flowers, crushed herbs and just a hint of gunflint. The palate is rich and unctuous with layers of preserved lemon, ripe papaya, cocoa powder and toasted hazelnut with hints of red berry.

With clean bright fruit flavours and a textured palate it complements a variety of food, try with creamy risotto or grilled chicken with a delicate sauce.

This wine is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.