Sauvignon Blancs

90 Points - Neal Martin

The 2015 Blanc Sec from Doisy Daene has a crisp and vibrant bouquet with citrus fruit, yellow flowers and light granite-like aromas, all very focused and conveying a sense of energy. The palate is well balanced with a touch of rosewater on the entry, quite saline toward the finish with a touch of bitter lemon. This is such a fascinating dry white Sauternes—a superb wine.

95 Points - James Suckling "This is really excellent with sliced apples, lemon rind, minerals and stones. Medium to full body, vivid and energetic acidity and a long and powerful, almost minerally finish. Wow."

A significant step up in quality compared to the ‘Estate’ wine – The nose has an intense and irresistible aroma of passion fruit and a whole array of ripe tropical fruit. The palate is equally intense on the entry and immediately expresses those ripe tropical fruits found on the nose. This is a fantastic wine from Vidal that rivals many ‘top’ Kiwi Sauvignon Blancs. Just delicious – no more, no less...

Bob Campbell "Pungent, flavoursome sauvignon blanc with classic passionfruit, capsicum, pink grapefruit and citrus flavours. A good example of the Marlborough style, with appealing punchy varietal character."

95 Points - Stuart McCloskey "Hand-picked grapes from eight of Dog Point own vineyards within the Wairau Valley. The fruit is whole bunch pressed, cold settled before fermentation and 2-3 months aging in stainless steel tanks. A portion of this wine is fermented using indigenous yeast and bottled without fining. A wonderfully deep and mineral nose with white and yellow stone fruits with a tinge of herbs. The palate is positively electric with stone fruits and minerals. Extremely pure, shows finesse and elegance as well as a touch of sweetness, but the overall balance is perfect. A wine which straddles New Zealand and the Loire, which is most pleasing as many Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc are too overtly pungent and unappealing. An exceptional Sauvignon Blanc for the price and an utter joy when the sun shines… " 

Winemaker "We hand pick the fruit from Matthews Lane vineyard ensuring each parcel of fruit is in pristine condition. After a yeast starter the juice rests on yeast lees for 11 months in new 1,000L German Oak Fuder Barrels. The use of Fuder barrels in this way ensures our Single Vineyard white wines develop a greater complexity and refinement because oak doesn’t dominate. The ratio of wine in contact with the barrel surface is less than smaller barrels so oak pick up is less. The staves of Fuder barrels are thicker which means the temperature of ferment tends to be warmer and we find the fruit characters gain greater depth and complexity."

93 Points - Stuart McCloskey

Less intense than both the ’02 and ’07, however the palate is well-balanced on the entry with fine citrus lemon, grapefruit and just a hint of spice. Good weight and quite linear towards the finish but great persistency. Drinking now.

Pale yellow with a chartreuse tint, the wine opens with bright aromatics of lime zest, lemon, green apple and a touch of honey. The entry is refreshing with ripe pineapple and grapefruit, framed by a nervy backbone of satiating acidity. A mid-palate of white peach and a hint of pith melds seamlessly into a long, energetic finish of wet stone and key lime.

94-96 Points - Neal Martin "The Domaine de Chevalier Blanc has a reserved, stony nose that you have to be patient with – give it a few minutes and there are some subtle undergrowth scents that begin to emerge, hints of orange blossom and dried apricot. The palate is well balanced with a delicate touch of spice on the entry. This is very focused with good weight and it displays wonderful tension on the finish that offers a Burgundy-like texture. Wonderful."

Exclusive to The Vinorium

95 Points - James Halliday "From a single vineyard in Karridale, whole berries pressed to old barriques and a 600l demi-muid for 11 months with lees stirring. Green-gold; a barrel-fermented sauvignon blanc that challenges normal beliefs and practises, made possible by the quality of the grapes. It marries honeyed richness and complexity, honey and crystallised grapefruit skin with dancing acidity."

97 Points Stuart McCloskey "Dog Point's Section 94 has always been a favourite of mine and can, in correct cellaring conditions, mature wonderfully over a decade. This is another example of a medium to full-bodied, textural style of Sauvignon Blanc. The grapes for Section 94 come from a single, low cropping vineyard parcel first planted in 1992. The fruit is hand-picked, whole bunch pressed and aged in older French oak barrels for 18 months. Every vintage has a funky edge which you either love or not. Those seeking simplistic Kiwi fruit pops should avoid at all costs as this is a serious, large scale wine that deserves a little respect. The aromas are taut, tightly wound with the ‘funk’ reducing with 20/30 minutes in a decanter (highly recommended). Tropical no - Yellow stone fruits in abundance with a vein of minerality appearing mid-palate. There’s a real intensity which is exceptional and rarely found with the majority of New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. The finish is endless… In short, brilliant!"

17 Points – Jancis Robinson  "Smell as though there is some light oak influence here. Dense and thrilling. This is a wine to convert me to Marlborough Sauvignon! Much more concentrated than the regular 2017 Sauvignon Blanc. Tense and rich at the same time but not particularly mineral. Reminds me a bit of PHI in the Yarra Valley. Impressively long."