2018 TWR (Te Whare Ra) Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough

Bright, light straw-yellow colour with slight green hues, lighter on the rim. The nose is firm with fulsome, well-packed aromas of gooseberry fruit, fresh herbs and subtle notes of nettles and cut-grass with green stonefruit elements. This is refreshing and mouthwatering. Dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate has lively, vibrant and intense flavours of gooseberry fruit along with subtle notes of nettles and fresh herbs and green stonefruits. The palate possesses richness and vitality from the bright acidity, and the wine flows along a fine-textured line leading to a rich, lingering finish. This is a vibrant, intense gooseberry-fruited Sauvignon Blanc with notes of fresh herbs and nuances of green stonefruits on a rich palate with a fine-textured line. Match with Pacific Rim and Mediterranean fare over the next 2+ years. Fruit from 3 sites, 47% 'Shamrock' and 39% 'Trelawne' from the Awatere, and 14% TWR 'Home' block, the latter hand-picked, all fermented in stainless-steel with 8% in seasoned French oak demi-muids to 13.2% alc. and 0.5 /L RS, the wine aged on fine lees.

The 2018 Sauvignon Blanc delivers attractive hints of pineapple and white grapefruit on the nose; a silky-textured, medium-bodied palate; and a crisp, refreshing finish. Above all, there's a seamless, elegant flow to this wine as it crosses the palate, coupled with plenty of intensity and length. (JC)