New Zealand Wine

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2023 

James Suckling writes:  Lots of passion fruit, guava and grapefruit on the nose. Bright, tropical and balanced, with medium body and a juicy, fruity finish. Sustainable. Drink now. Screw cap.  - James Suckling 90

Tamlyn Currin writes:  For a wine that is presumably made in vast quantities and in the most technical way possibly, this is surprisingly good. Full of bodacious tropical fruit. Mangoes and oranges with a little bit of grapefruit and sweet fennel. The balance of fruit and acidity is great, and it certainly tastes and feels more full-bodied than 12.5%. It's generous, friendly and appealing. I really can't fault it!   - Jancis Robinson 16

MaryAnn Worobiec writes:  A vibrant version, showing a mix of pineapple, mango and passion fruit flavors that is direct and mouthwatering, with touches of ginger and green tea on the finish. Drink now.  - Wine Spectator

Erin Larkin writes:  The 2023 Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc is a behemoth in the export market, and it delivers a pretty archetypal “Marlborough Sauvy” experience—crunchy, herbal, green, tropical and juicy. All good things in this context. 12.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.  - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Roger Jones, Freddy Bulmer, Cat Lomax writes:  Delicate mineral notes with a mixture of passionfruit and meadow grass aromas. Citrus fruit, butterscotch, stone fruit, white peaches and nectarine.  - Decanter

Winemaker Description 

Expert Review - Vintage 2023 

Tasting Panel 91 Points | Notes of lime, grapefruit, wet stone, and white flowers permeate both nose and palate. Stunning as ever. 

Winemaker Description 

 Kim Crawford produces one of Marlborough’s benchmark Sauvignon Blancs. Our most recent vintage was named “New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc of the Year” by the New York International Wine Competition. A perennial favorite enjoyed by the glass in restaurants, it has also been named in the “2019 Wine & Spirits Restaurant Top 10” Sauvignon Blanc category. The secret to Kim Crawford’s success is serious attention to detail in the vineyards and winery, with a special focus on sustainable practices, individual vineyard block harvesting, and small lot fermentation.

COLOR:  Very pale yellow

AROMA:  Classic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc aromas of lifted citrus, tropical fruit, and crushed herbs.

PALATE:  A fresh, juicy wine with vibrant acidity and plenty of weight and length on the palate. Ripe, tropical fruit flavor with passion fruit, melon, and grapefruit.

APPELLATION:  Marlborough, New Zealand

PAIRINGS:  Pairs brilliantly with fresh oysters, asparagus, lobster, or summer salads.

Winemaker Description

This wine starts in Marlborough vineyards, in the region famous for introducing elegant, cool climate New Zealand wines to the world. Marlborough’s warm days and cool nights create an extended growing season allowing the grapes to develop strong, intense varietal characteristics while maintaining a balanced, crisp natural acidity. The result is a distinct white wine that is always crisp, elegant, and refreshing.

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc White Wine is stunningly aromatic with tropical fruits and bright citrus notes, and a refreshingly zesty finish. It pairs perfectly with lighter meals, a variety of fresh Asian flavors, and seafood. Enjoy within a year or two of the vintage. Winemaker Description. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2023

James Suckling writes:  Aromas of sliced lime, guava, star fruit, savory herbs and flowers. Medium-bodied, fresh and crisp with a juicy, mouthwatering nature. Flavorful and bright.  - James Suckling 90

MaryAnn Worobiec writes:  This pear, lime and lemon zest notes are mouthwatering and intense in this white, with a whiff of lemongrass and fresh-cut grass on the crisp finish.  - Wine Spectator

Winemaker Description 

Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc put New Zealand on the map with its captivating flavor. Their signature style is famous for its vibrant nose, mouthwatering palate and long finish. Stone fruit and citrus stand out, while minerality (think rain on river stones) provides balance

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2024

James Suckling 92 Points | Consistently delicious with sliced-apple, gooseberry and lime character. Some grass too. Medium body, creamy texture and a fresh finish. Fortieth vintage of this wine.

Winemaker Description 

A classic Sauvignon Blanc with all the hallmark characteristics of Marlborough. Produced in a fuller, riper, and softer style that develops well, this wine is clean, fresh and tropical, with fruit harvested from several vineyards situated throughout Marlborough.

Sweet citrus, red current and tropical fruits overlay fresh herbs and mineral elements.

On entry fresh tropical/ fruit salad fruits. The mid-palate adds juicy ripe citrus and blackcurrant with spice and lime joining and extending the finish. A wine with flesh and volume - a flavourful mouthful.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2023 

Christina Pickard of the Wine Enthusiast writes 89 Points | Classic (and unmistakable) Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc aromas of passion fruit, lime, honeysuckle, dried green herbs and bell pepper lead. The palate is pithy and punchy with a fruity zest to the finish.

Rebecca Gibb Writes:  The 2023 Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough makes me think of a refreshing cocktail, with its gooseberry and elderflower notes meeting mint and passionfruit in this crisp, dry style. It's an excellent, juicy thirst quencher for slugging with friends, chilled on a warm summer's day. It's not going to change your life or give you any intellectual pleasure, but that's not its purpose.  - Vinous

Roger Jones, Freddy Bulmer, Cat Lomax write:  Herbal, white fruit and citrus nose. Sweet passionfruit, green citrus, passionfruit, green apple, guava and yoghurt notes.

Expert Review - Vintage 2023

Christina Pickard of WIne Enthusiast writes 93 Points | Dried herbs and lemongrass, with passionfruit sorbet, open this lovely, balanced Sauvignon. It's textural, long and persistent, with a salted pink grapefruit finish.  

Winemaker Description

The lively nose shows tropical and citrus fruits with subtle herbaceous characters. Its crisp fresh palate offers classic Marlborough acidity, structure and length.

Expert Review - Vintage 2024

Wine Enthusiast - 91 Points The life of the party, this lucid, bombastic Savvy B offers up heady lime, lemongrass and pink grapefruit aromas, with a whisper of dried herbs below. There's a gently slippery quality to the texture. In rushes the limey acidity to dial it up a notch—or ten.

Winemaker Description

Pale Lemon in color, Whitehaven captures intense notes of grapefruit, passionfruit, lemongrass and white peach in this bold, refreshing Sauvignon Blanc. Superbly structured and elegantly balanced, with fresh-snipped greens and citrus characteristics that blend effortlessly with notes of tropical fruit. Each glass boasts the long, clean finish of classic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. With its bright character and crisp finish, Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc pairs beautifully with a wide range of dishes. A chilled glass of Whitehaven is particularly refreshing alongside fresh seafood, spicy Asian dishes, grilled chicken or summer salads.

Our Professional Review

Bart Hopkins of 67Wine.com | Dog Point Vineyard is the largest certified organic wine estate in New Zealand.  This  Sauvignon Blanc is bright and delicious, with fresh lively flavors in a refreshing, easy sipping style. In the glass, key lime, granny smith apple, kiwi and white peach flavors grace the palate playfully with perfectly balanced acidity offering lift and a pleasant zip to the finish. Crisp and very pleasant, perfect for seafood and salads.

Expert Review - Vintage 2023 

Rebecca Gibb MW writes:  Initially the 2023 Sauvignon Blanc needs a few moments to get itself together – much like we all do after waking up from our slumber. It wears a rather reductive overcoat, but under that flintiness you find concentrated, pure fruit flavors. It’s light in body but dense in concentration thanks to low yields, displaying both focus and punch. It's almost silvery in color and restrained thanks to hand-picking, leading to pure grapefruit and passion fruit flavors alongside a hint of nectarine. The finish is long, precise and sinewy.  Drinking 2024 - 2028.  - Vinous 93

James Suckling writes:  Clean and crisp with grapefruit, green melon and lemon character. Hints of stones. Medium body. Lovely acidity and a delicious finish. Some phenolic tension here. From organically grown grapes. Drink now. Screw cap.  - James Suckling 92

Julia Harding MW writes: Intensely aromatic and characteristically smoky, with marked reduction, a style that Dog Point have mastered so brilliantly. That smokiness is notable yet not excessive even if it is highly stylised. Behind the struck match is vibrant grapefruit and pear, immense depth and remarkable complexity for a young, unoaked white. Chewy texture and low pH make this a mouth-watering and persistent dry wine that is obviously Sauvignon Blanc but not just Sauvignon Blanc, and with better likely ageing capacity than most NZ SBs. Excellent purity and precision. I find this unspittable and feel sure it will be even better after another year in bottle.  Drinking 2024 to 2027.  - Jancis Robinson 17.5

MaryAnn Worobiec writes:  Lush and expressive, with plenty of concentration to the mix of mango, lemon curd and litsea oil flavors. Details of dried pineapple, candied ginger and crystalized orange zest add complexity and aromatics on the long finish. Drink now.  - Wine Spectator 94

Roger Jones, Freddy Bulmer, Cat Lomax write:  Matchstick reduction on the nose with layers of pink grapefruit pith and citrus oil. Mineral complexity with good intensity. Ambitious winemaking, perhaps, with time in the bottle, this wine will mellow and come together.  - Decanter Magazine

Winemaker Description 

Winemaker Description 

In appearance, it’s a pale yellow, straw color. On the nose there are ripe Sauvignon Blanc aromatics with notes of white stone fruit, passion fruit pulp and kaffir lime. The palate is lively with deep concentration and a salinic acidity.

This wine will pair well with aperitifs, seafood and poultry. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2023 

Wine Spectator 94 Points | One of the most impressive Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand is this single-vineyard planting. Unlike the vast majority of Kiwi Sauvignon Blancs, which hail from the Marlborough region at the northern tip of the South Island, Te Muna is located in Martinborough, at the southern tip of the North Island. The region’s cool climate and intense winds have been optimal for producing muscular Pinot Noirs, yet it turns out these conditions are ideal for Sauvignon Blanc as well, with the grapes’ thick, wind-blown skins adding intensity to the wines. Te Muna is divided into two dramatic terraces, with Pinot Noir growing in the decomposing soils of the upper terrace. But the greywacke stones and limestone on the lower terrace make a better match for Sauvignon Blanc. Since Craggy Range was founded by Terry and Mary Peabody in 1998, the quality of its distinctive wines has only become more impressive. A 1,000-year family trust shows how committed they are to the business. 72,000 cases imported.—MaryAnn Worobiec

Decanter Magazine (90 Pts) :  Fresh and precise, with lime, mango and passion fruit notes that are accented by crunchy sea salt, litsea oil, dried chamomile and fresh lemon zest on a mouthwatering, fleshy frame.  - :  Family-owned winery Craggy Range has an excellent reputation, and its entry-level Sauvignon Blanc shows a lovely purity and balance. The Martinborough region, at the southern tip of New Zealand's North Island, is a minor player size wise compared to the juggernaut that is Marlborough, but its wines are often more restrained in style. This elegant expression shows a lovely purity of gooseberry, blackcurrant leaf and lime fruit, with added weight from partial, short ageing in French oak. 

Rebecca Gibb MW of Vinous writes:  The 2023 Sauvignon Blanc Te Muna Road probably won't be one for the history books. Modest in concentration and a little fleeting after what was a difficult season, it’s nonetheless attractive, clean and restrained. The 2023 is a less fragrant expression, with modest intensity of apple and pineapple, peach and citrus. Enjoy its dry, acid-driven tension in youth. 

Expert Review - Vintage 2024

The Wine Advocate 91 Points | The 2024 Sauvignon Blanc leads with the typically leafy, green-gauge nose of coriander, crushed sea shells, green apple and brine. In the mouth, the wine is intensely tropical but tempered by a maritime freshness and levity through the finish. It's a breath of fresh air, this wine. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

Winemaker Description

Pale straw color with green highlights. Powerful gooseberry, white currant, red capsicum, passionfruit and lime peel aromas. Medium-bodied, with strong flavors of makrut lime, passionfruit, lemongrass and a refreshingly smooth, dry and persistent finish.

Our Professional Reviews

Bart Hopkins 67Wine.com | A brisk and lively Sauvignon Blanc, bursting with refreshing flavors. Fresh squeezed lime, kiwi and passion fruit with a touch of tropical fruit combine in the mouth with thirst quenching acidity and a clean, invigorating finish. Clean and vibrant, delicious and fun to drink, what more could anyone ask of their Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc?

Winemaker Description

Distinctly Marlborough, this pure and bright Sauvignon Blanc has a vibrant fruit driven nose bursting with citrus and tropical fruit. On the palate luscious flavors of lemon zest and guava combine with notes of currant leaf and fresh bell pepper. Finely balanced with zesty acidity, an underlying minerality, and just a hint of residual sweetness this crisp and fresh wine leads to a perfectly long, dry, and persistent finish.

Winemaker Description 

Deliciously aromatic with scents of honeydew melon and orange blossom, delicately infused with herb garden botanicals. A bright, seasonal expression, with juicy lemon and steely cassis flavours and a generously textured palate garnished with a flourish of pastis and wildflowers. A wine with impressive structure and depth, this is Marlborough sauvignon blanc with the volume turned down a notch.

Harvested largely by machine during cool (often cold) night-time conditions, the fruit was picked earlier than normal at high sugar levels over a 3-week period, commencing 16 March. Transported directly to our winery in the Omaka Valley, fruit was lightly pressed to yield a modest volume of high-quality juice. The juice was cold-settled and racked prior to fermentation, which was primarily carried out in stainless steel tanks with cultured yeast. All individual vineyard batches were left on lees until late June, when the blend was assembled.

Winemaker Description 

Frenzy is produced from a carefully made blend of the best fruit from selected vineyards, which are all ideally suited to the Sauvignon Blanc varietal. Winemaking is completed at cool temperatures to ensure purity of fruit and the essence of the region’s terroir are expressed in the most genuine style.

This is an elegant wine with intense tropical and stone fruit aromatics with delicate citrus and floral notes, full flavored and textured. The wine has fine mouthwatering mineral acidity on the finish that refreshes the palate, leaving you longing for more. 

Winemaker Description 

This Sauvignon Blanc is a vibrant, crisp wine that comes from vineyards in the South Island of New Zealand, where the cool growing season allows our grapes to mature slowly and gain character and complexity.

Flavors of Meyer lemon, white nectarine and key lime integrate with subtle hints of grapefruit, gooseberry and citrus, culminating into a long, balanced finish. Pair oysters on the half shell, creamy lobster risotto or a picnic in the park. 

Winemaker Description

Brancott Sauvignon Blanc is predominantly a pale straw color with greens. This vibrant wine is a pale straw colour with green highlights. The zesty aromas jump from the glass, with highlights of pink grapefruit, melon and gooseberry.

On the palate, flavors of grapefruit, honeydew melon, and passionfruit contribute to the ripe fruit sweetness combined with a tight, fresh acidity. This is a beautifully balanced wine.

Winemaker Description

A fruit driven style of Pinot Noir with a lively personality, this wine expresses an abundance of red cherries on the nose, along with baking spices such as clove and cinnamon. On the palate, fruit flavors of cranberries and fresh raspberries are intermingled with freshly roasted coffee beans and soft cocoa-like tannins.

Pinot Noir is incredibly versatile and will go well with roast chicken, duck confit, smoked salmon, or simply with mature cheddar cheese.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2023

James Suckling 91 Points | Cut grass, lime peel, guavas and passion fruit on the nose. Classic, crunchy and fruity, with a medium body and clean, refreshing finish. Nicely done.

Wine Spectator 90 Points | Fresh and vibrant, with Key lime pie, Honeycrisp apple and lemon thyme notes on a mouthwatering frame, showing accents of dried pineapple and a hint of passion fruit. Drink now.

Winemaker Description

Our Grove Mill Sauvignon Blanc is ripe and intense with tropical notes of guava and passionfruit that lead to a lively finish. 

Winemaker Description

This wine delivers aromatics of nectarine, lime, florals and hints of toasted spice. The palate is concentrated and precise, with citrus, black currant, fresh herbs and grilled pineapple flavours. This wine possesses crisp. refreshing acidity and a touch of chalky minerality.

A great match with all seafood, particularly shellfish. The crisp flavours work well with fresh summer salads or soft goat cheese. Winemaker Description. 

Expert Review - Vintage 2023

Christina Pickard of the Wine Enthusiast writes 87 Points | A classic combo of dried green herb, bell pepper, passion fruit and lime aromas marches to a dry, fruity and crisp palate that's a little shrill but quenches thirst nonetheless.

The Wine Spectator 88 Points | Smooth and succulent, with peach, lime and lemon zest notes that are mouthwatering. Finishes on a note of Key lime pie. Drink now. 8,000 cases made, 3,000 cases imported.

The Wine Advocate 90 Points |  The 2023 Sauvignon Blanc offers us an uncomplicated display of tropical fruits, pert acidity and gently chalky phenolics through the finish. Everything is in place here. It would be hard to imagine a more "Marlborough-tasting" Sauvignon Blanc. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. 

Winemaker Description

Marlborough’s 2024 harvest was dominated by dry, windy weather, super clean fruit and delicious flavours. The season in Marlborough was marked by the change from the La Nina weather patterns of the last two years to a strong El Nino.

Our 2024 Sauvignon Blanc is a blend from multiple vineyard sites throughout Marlborough, with a portion from the Awatere Valley and the balance from the Wairau Valley. Grapes were crushed and destemmed prior to pressing and fermentation was induced by the introduction of carefully selected yeast strains.

We fermented in stainless steel at cool temperatures to preserve the lifted aromatics in this wine.

Winemaker Description 

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is almost always what people have in mind when this classic grape gets lauded or derided. For the LWLs of the world (Ladies Who Lunch), this is the beverage of choice. Those who love it, LOVE it and the haters hate it for the same reasons. Anthony ‘Ant’ Moore’s Sauvignon Blanc is like an olive branch to both sides. Originally an Aussie, he moved to Marlborough on the South Island in the early 2000s and was hooked. He uses a French approach (old oak barrels and extended lees aging) to balance that searing acidity typical of NZ Sauvignon Blanc and curb some of the typical ‘greenness’. The result is a veritable fruit basket of tropical proportions. Kiwi, pineapple, spearmint, and crunchy apple. Pair with any sunny moment or crunchy salad.

Expert Reviews

Wine Spectator 92 Points | Vibrant, juicy and wonderfully intense, showing off fleshy notes of passion fruit, mango and citrus, with mouthwatering acidity and a touch of saline and lemongrass on the finish. Drink now.

Winemaker Description 

Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc is distinctively New Zealand – clean, fresh and easy drinking. Lovely tropical fruit flavors make it a great wine with chicken and seafood dishes or just to drink on its own.

Winemaker Description 

Pale straw with a hint of green and gold. Complex and elegant Sauvignon Blanc bouquet, with citrus blossom and wild flowers, surrounded by crushed ripe herbs and pineapple. Dense fruit core of juicy melon and peach complemented by hints of ripe herbs and florals. Beautifully rounded with layer upon layer of texture, this wine has a long, complex finish with plenty of minerality, citrus, ripe stone fruit and an umami quality.

A good match for oysters, seafood, spaghetti alle vongole and chicken. 

Winemaker Description 

With bright, pure flavors and a fun-loving personality, every glass of our dazzling Sauvignon Blanc echoes the spectacular natural beauty of New Zealands South Island. Zesty citrus aromas lead to layers of passionfruit, grapefruit and gooseberry flavors, followed by a clean, refreshing finish. Its exquisite on its own or paired with lighter fare.

Winemaker Description

This is a delicious Pinot Noir, with fleshy black plum, layers of cherry and sweet berries that play on the palate and dance with hints of violet and savory notes. Drink now or cellar for up to 10 years. Grown with love, made with care.

Expert Rating

Wine Spectator 93 Points | Presents pretty clove, nutmeg and cardamom details that are a lovely complement to the sleek maraschino cherry, raspberry and cranberry flavors at the core. A touch of malty Assam tea lingers on the finish, adding a firm note. Drink now through 2035. (2021).

Winemaker Notes

Our Professional Review

Bart Hopkins of 67Wine.com | Here is a perfect example of just how good Chardonnay can be! Refreshing flavors of white peach, lively citrus, stone fruit and pear drop cascade across the palate with fleshy richness and energetic balance. There is plenty of zip and clean acidity on the long, delicious and very happy finish. Great with a wide variety of foods, but also just by itself.

Expert Review

Sam Kim of Wine Orbit 95 Points |  Gorgeously composed and expressed, the wine shows golden peach, lemon peel, nougat and hazelnut aromas with a hint of brioche complexity. The concentrated palate delivers terrific weight and persistency, wonderfully complemented by creamy texture and beautifully pitched acidity.

Winemaker Description 

Rain Sauvignon Blanc is a totally refreshing Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough. Meticulous fruit selection and cold fermentation contribute an abundant spectrum of tropical and herbal aromas.

Passionfruit and gooseberry fragrances abound the nose. Extended lees contact adds depth, texture and balance to the palate. The finish is long and invigorating. 

Winemaker Description

Pure and vibrant with layers of passionfruit, tropical fruit and ripe citrus. Juicy fruit flavors and soft acidity combine to deliver a mouth-watering finish. Capturing all the trademark sub-regional flavors of Marlborough, this Sauvignon Blanc is sure to impress.

Expert Ratings

Wine Spectator | Generous flavors of apple, passion fruit and pineapple show hints of fresh grated ginger and dried lemon thyme, along with an accent of chive flower on the fresh, crisp finish. Drink now. 25,000 cases imported.

Winemaker Description 

A classic Felton Road nose of dark blossoms: rose and violet with a compote of dark fruits. The mid-palate is just screaming Felton Road. Black cherries and cream on the nose introduced cherry crumble on the palate with baked spices. Very harmonious for a wine so young, but a brooding undertow reveals the intrinsic power of the wine. Four Bannockburn vineyards seamlessly integrating to provide many layers and textures.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2021 

James Suckling 93 Points | Very attractive hibiscus with sliced strawberries and orange peel aromas that follow through to a medium body with very fine tannins and a fresh and clean wine. Tangy and succulent fruit. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink or hold. Screw cap. (2021). 

Jancis Robinson 16.5/20 Points |  Earthy and interesting on the nose. Already open and sweet but with good structure. Great for current drinking, with real interest and freshness. At the moment I prefer this to Block 3. (2021). 

Vinous 91 Points |  The 2021 Pinot Noir Bannockburn offers fine tension and sinew. I rather like it for being understated and having a corset of acidity and tannic tension around it. Sour red cherry, damson, wild herbs, a twist of nutmeg and it's all rather pleasing. Long, scented and excellent value with praiseworthy tannin quality. (2021). 

Decanter 92 Points | A hint of smokiness and toast appears first, still with the echo of slight reduction. The fine web of tannins on the palate holds oak as well as surprisingly dark fruit. Very juicy, fruity and bold, this is Felton Road's estate Pinot Noir, with just 25% new oak. Drinking 2022 - 2032  (2021). 

Winemaker Description 

Crisp and refreshing, expect pure tropical fruit and citrus flavors with nuances of freshly cut herbs from this wonderfully balanced, lighter-in-alcohol Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

Classic Sauvignon Blanc fruit was batch-harvested at perfect ripeness, with balanced tropical fruit, citrus, and herbal flavours. Fermented cool in stainless steel tanks to retain purity of fruit flavour and freshness, the wine then spent 3 months on lees to build texture. After blending, some of the alcohol was gently removed from the wine using spinning cone technology to give a full- flavoured 6% alc./ vol. Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc that’s deliciously fresh, with 50% lower alcohol and 45% less calories compared to 12.5% alc./vol. wine.

Winemaker Description 

An intentionally restrained mineral core is layered with ripe citrus, flashes of tropical fruit and crushed thyme. The palate is vibrant with white nectarine, passionfruit coulis, and wraps up classically crisp and refreshing in true Marlborough style. 

Winemaker Description 

Lively lime and lemon aromas and a flinty, mineral edginess with hints of fig and white peach. The weighty mid-palate also shows peachy ripeness along with crisp acid minerality that gives the wine a refreshing cleansing quality.

This wine is delightful as an aperitif, and even better to drink with fish and shellfish.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2023 

James Suckling writes 92 Points | A delicious chardonnay with a sour lemon, cooked apple and grapefruit undertone. Medium body. Tangy and fruity. Drink now. Screw cap. 

Erin Larkin of the Wine Advocate writes 90 Points | The 2023 Village Chardonnay is silky and sleek in the mouth, with lemon flesh, curd, almond meal and brine. The wine has loads of flavor but is restrained and composed; it's a really great entrée to the world of Kumeu River. Eighty percent of the fruit is from the Hawke's Bay vineyard. 12.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.  Drinking 2023 to 2029. 

Winemaker Description 

Hunky Dory Sauvignon Blanc is succulent, offering tropical fruit notes packed with fresh gooseberry and lime flavors. This wine has a full-flavored lingering finish and is designed to meet expectations of a true Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. 

Our Professional Review

Bart Hopkins of 67Wine.com | Here is a beautifully perfumed Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc offering delightful drinking enjoyment. The nose alone  is with the price of admission with aromas of passion fruit, white peach, kiwi garden herbs and pink grapefruit providing a welcoming introduction. In the mouth the flavors cascade effortlessly with fleshy extravagance and a long, fruit filled finish. Perfect for an assortment of cheeses as well as salads, seafood and fresh vegetables.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2018

James Suckling 93 Points | Aromas of fresh red cherries and some rose-like florals, in an upbeat, fruit-driven style. A very concentrated and ripe array of brambly raspberries and red cherries with smooth tannins, delivering a web of fresh-fruit flavor. Succulent and spicy, oak-tinged finish.

The Wine Advocate 92 Points | Normally a bit darker in fruit tone than the blended bottling, the 2018 Cornish Point Pinot Noir features black cherries and a hint of licorice, plus some vaguely floral notions. It's medium to full-bodied, with supple tannins and just a bit of chocolate on the finish, reflecting the warmth of the vintage. 

The Wine Enthusiast 91 Points | This Pinot, from a low lying vineyard almost completely surrounded by water, is simultaneously the most reductive, floral and fruity of this renowned biodynamic producer's lineup. The reduction gives a salty edge but it doesn't overpower the plump cherry and plum fruit or rose petal aromas. The palate is nicely textured with a solid line of acidity that buoys the plush fruit and flows to a long cocktail bitters finish. While this lacks the vibrancy and elegance of some of FR's other single-site wines, it's nevertheless an appealing drop.