When one thinks of excellent Sauvignon Blanc’s being produced in the world today, one does not need to stray far in thinking of New Zealand. The Marlborough wine region in New Zealand is ideal for growing Sauvignon Blanc, with long hours of sunshine and a cool climate, the grapes have a long hang time on the vines, which allows for intensified flavor.
In a recent wine class that I teach, I brought in a bottle of the 2011 Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc for the students to sample. In the glass this wine displayed a straw yellow color, and the aromas were of white grapefruit, stone fruit, and a hint of cut hay. The flavor profile followed the aromas with the white grapefruit taking center stage, followed by nectarines, honey dew melon, cut  hay, and it finished with a slight dose of minerality. The Nobilo is a fruit-forward Sauvignon Blanc, with a medium finish, and is easy to drink. And yes, the students in my wine appreciation class enjoyed this wine.

Jon

New Zealand is world famous for its spectacular Sauvignon Blanc wines, and this 2011 Villa Maria “Private Bin” Sauvignon Blanc did not disappoint at all. With all of the characteristics that I expect from the Sauvignon Blanc variety, this wine brings them all to the table. The color of this wine in the glass is a pale yellow straw. The aroma profile is of grapefruit, stone fruit, and light lemon. The flavors mirror what was on the nose with pink grapefruit, nectarines, lemon, a slight grassiness, and minerality. This is a crisp, fruit-forward, light-bodied Sauvignon Blanc, with a nice finish, and moderately priced at $12.

Jon

When one thinks of excellent Sauvignon Blanc’s being produced in the world today, one does not need to stray far in thinking of New Zealand. The Marlborough wine region in New Zealand is ideal for growing Sauvignon Blanc, with long hours of sunshine and a cool climate, the grapes have a long hang time on the vines, which allows for intensified flavor.
Whitehaven Winery was founded in 1994, and the grapes used in the production of their wines are sourced only from the Marlborough wine region. The 2010 Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc has wonderful aromas of pink grapefruit and lemon zest, followed by aromas of cut grass. On the palate this wine exhibits flavors of grapefruit, lemon, tropical fruit, a nice minerality, and finishes with a delightful herbaceousness. The 2010 Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc is refreshing, well balanced, with a clean crisp acidity.

Jon

I find it amazing at the quality of wines coming out of New Zealand, especially in light of the fact that commercial wine production didn’t really take off until the late 1970′s. The Sauvignon Blanc’s coming from New Zealand have unique qualities about them that make them stand out from other wine growing regions of the world. I had the opportunity to sample the 2010 Starborough Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough wine region, and this is a good wine at an affordable price. The first aroma that I detected was tropical fruit, followed by melon, grapefruit, herbs, and a hint of minerality. The flavors confirmed the aromas, and they were of pineapple, kiwi, honeydew melon, citrus, herbs, and minerals. This was a refreshing, easy to drink, affordable wine, and one that I would recommend you try.