TABLE LANDS — SAUVIGNON BLANC (Vintage 2016, White)
Country: New Zealand Region: Martinborough (at the foot of North Island) Grape: Sauvignon Blanc
New Zealand, an extremely diverse wine-growing nation, has a history that dates to the 1830’s. It is also one of the “greenest” wine producing nations on earth (94% of the wine certified sustainable in 2013). There is a strong focus on organic and Biodynamic farming. In Martinborough, the combination of topography, geology, climate and human effort has led to the region becoming one of the nation’s premier wine regions, in spite of its small size. Less than 2% of New Zealand’s production is grown there, yet in shows and competitions, the wines rate very high. The wineries are relatively small and typically family-owned, with the focus on producing quality rather than quantity. Small yields enable winemakers there to devote themselves to handcrafting superior wines, such as this month’s light yellow 100% Sauvignon Blanc. (It’s yellow, but you’ll undoubtedly notice the rich green hues in the glass.) A wine with diverse fruit characters, you will be greeted with a bouquet of pineapple, grapefruit, melon and freshly cut grass. This wine has a palate full of ripe fruit flavors. With excellent structure and balance, the fresh, juicy acidity lingers with a persistent finish. Enjoy it now, chilled, as an aperitif with canapes, or with oysters on the half shell, cold soups, grilled shrimps, poached salmon or smoked trout.
SAUVIGNON BLANC GRAPES
A white with very distinctive dusty character, high in acidity with up-front aromas and flavors. A climate-driven chameleon, Sauvignon Blanc wines may be fruity in character (ripe melon, fig, passion fruit), or vegetative and grassy. Mostly unoaked, the resulting wines are light to medium bodied and usually dry. Grown in France, South Africa, Spain and California; when from Australia and New Zealand, they produce fresh, flavorful whites. From Chile, expect elegant fruitiness.
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