My wife said, “Not another one!!”. Well, I am back here again. But luckily, with better results this time, and though the wine is still “out there”, this one is within the bounds of what I find enjoyable. Red in colour, with a hint of browning and only slightly cloudy. An interesting nose, with cassia bark, pepper and stalk, a broad red fruited sweetness, cherries, rhubarb, stewed strawberries; quite pleasant. The palate has a nice body to it, pushing a little on the stalky/green/mulchy spectrum, but getting away with it I think. Looked similar on the second night. Not sure if or how long to cellar it, so I’m drinking my bottles now. Drink 2011-2013. 88 points.

I don’t drink a lot of white wines, but when I saw some positive reviews of this wine I asked for a sample bottle. From the Awatere Valley in Marlborough, and a winner of a Blue-Gold Award at the Sydney International Wine Competition in addition to being one of the top 100 wines at the show.

An interesting nose, with white asparagus, lemons, sherbet and a touch of tropical fruits too. The palate showed some herbaceousness, with lemons, limes, grapefruit and a touch of minerals and herbs. Citrus acids drive the palate and there is a pleasant fruit concentration. Sealed under screwcap. 13.0% abv. Winery sample. RRP $16.99. Drink 2010-2012. 88 points.

A release direct from the cellar door. And at, as you can see, quite a remarkable price. A complex nose, stewed strawberries, beetroot, red cherries, undergrowth and brown spices, a touch of butter and a bit of varnish. A mellow palate, red cherries, beetrooty earthiness with rounded brown fruits and a pleasant shake of spice. Pretty good length, but the fruit is a bit dull and loose. I think I would have preferred it a couple of years ago. Drink now.

Rated : 88 Points
Tasted : Dec09
Alcohol : 14%
Price : $42
Closure : Cork
Drink : 2009-2011
Source : The Wine Emporium
Website : Fromm

I drink the occasional glass of Sauvignon Blanc. This was opened for our babysitters last night and they kindly left me a glass to sample today. The wine is quite pale in colour, with a touch of yellowing. The nose shows clean cut grass, white asparagus and tinned peas. The palate is clean, clear and focused, with lemon acid spine, musk and some stalky asparagus. Nothing flabby or tropical about this wine. Reasonably weight on the palate, but not what I would call generous. All the same, very pleasant.

Rated : 87 Points
Tasted : Jun06
Alcohol : 13.5%
Price : $25
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2006 – 2006
Source : WineStar

Craggy Range is a most excellent producer of Sauvignon Blanc. This wine was 92% fermented in the tank and 8% in the barrel. Coincidentally, the fermentation used 92% inoculated yeast and 8% indigenous yeast.

On opening, a little bit spritzig, ripe gooseberries, pretty pink florals, nothing herbaceous about this at all, mineral and slate, dry wetstone and white grapefruit. The palate is delightfully structured, drying limes, but with clinging mouth filling flavours, ripe gooseberry fruits but on the minerally side-of-things and an acid finish. It lingers and impresses; well worth the money.

Rated : 92 Points
Tasted : Apr06
Alcohol : 13.5%
Price : $30
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2006 – 2008
Source : The Wine Emporium

For those that don’t know, this wine has everything thrown at it: sundry tools, the kitchen sink and even the Triton workbench. Both whole bunches and de-stemmed fruit are pressed, then settled and racked directly into French oak barrels (a low proportion of which is new). Primary fermentation uses indigenous yeast and in this case did not finish until Christmas almost 8 months later. The wine then goes through malolactic fermentation, and is left in barrel on the yeast lees until the very end of October of the following year. It is then racked, fined and bottled.

Unlike 99% of other Sauvignon Blancs on the market: coconut husk, attar of roses, potpourri, buttery oak, and some oxidative and aldehydic characters – certainly a wine to divide the room – a real “love-it-or-hate-it” kind of style. The palate is a journey into unknown regions: creme brulee, vanillan oak, weighty funky fruits, but beautiful balance and a drying finish. Doesn’t seem to be a wine that will profit from too much more aging (it’s 3 years old already), and I’m really at a loss to suggest what food you would consume with it. It is perhaps a bit pricey, but it you like it, there’s isn’t a lot of choice.

Rated : 88 Points
Tasted : Feb06
Alcohol : 13.5%
Price : $45
Closure : Cork
Drink : 2006 – 2008
Website : Cloudy Bay