New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is one of my favourite varietals and New Zealand, in particular, has some spectacular examples.

I’ve found the flavor and aroma profile of Sauvignon Blanc varies quite predictably with where it’s grown. Cool climate Sauvignon Blanc tends to have more pronounced green or herbaceous elements (grassy, tomato stem, thyme, bell pepper, and gooseberry); warmer climate Sauvignon Blanc will have more tropical fruit elements (passion fruit being quite common as well as pineapple, stone fruits, and honeydew melon). Sometimes you will detect some citrusy notes too (lime, grapefruit) or even what some people refer to as cat urine or litter box! This sharp cat urine odour occurs when the grapes are harvested when underripe due to a poor growing season and/or not enough sun exposure (it can be okay in small amounts though, honest).

The great thing is all of these elements can be found in Sauvignon Blanc that comes from NZ; they often have a bit of cool and warm climate character.


2003 ‘Cat’s Pee on a Gooseberry Bush’ – Coopers Creek
This wine has a cheeky cat on its label and at first I thought this wine might just be cleaver marketing, but it’s really not bad. There are some gooseberry aromas and an acidic note that could be considered cat pee (but not to my nose). It’s fruity too; some apricot, but I found the acidity a bit ‘rough’. Other wise a nice zingy wine at a decent price ($12.50).
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While in NZ I had the opportunity to visit Kim Crawford on the North Island (I may post a picture at a later date):

2004 Sauvignon Blanc – Kim Crawford
I was told this is slightly different from the wine that makes it to North America. It is young and full of tropical fruit (banana and passion fruit) with a clean sharp finish and some gooseberry and marjoram. Quite a complex nose, but I found it needed a bit of air time to smooth it out. ($13.85 NZ)
VG

While in NZ I also bought a few bottles to drink there and take home with me:

2004 Sauvignon Blanc (Hawks Bay) – Matua Valley
Slightly floral nose with citrus and tapioca. Mandarin peel, thyme, green apple. It has a better acid/sugar balance than the Kim Crawford above and a similar price ($13.95 NZ).
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2004 Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough) – Cloudy Bay
This winery has a lot to do with why NZ is known for its Sauvignon Blanc. Cloudy Bay’s Sauvignon Blanc is widely regarded as NZ’s finest and has something of a cult following. This vintage was no different receiving 91+ ratings all around. The nose is amazing: kiwi and passion fruit with light lime, gooseberry, and bell pepper notes. It’s polished and vibrant with crisp acidity, very bright and alive. The tomato stem/gooseberry aspect is quite pronounced in this wine, you cannot mistake the grape here. Wow. A wine for summer lunches on the patio. (This wine goes for over $30 in Ontario, but I got it for around $20 NZ)
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More recently and my Best Buy pick:

2005 Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough) – Kim Crawford
A little less zingy than the 2004 I tried in NZ, but it still has healthy acidity. Clean mineral gooseberry (if that makes sense), but not too herbaceous (marjoram and sweet grass). Fruit is more dominant with passion fruit hints and stone fruit aromas which also linger in the finish. Much better than the 2004 I had, and just a notch under the Cloudy Bay; at $19.95 CDN it’s a good deal for this level of quality. 90 from Wine Spectator.
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Other good Sauvignon Blanc producers to look for: Forrest Estate, Villa Maria, Oyster Bay Vineyards, Thornbury, St. Clair.