Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc - Where to in 2009?
Never has a recent vintage (2008) caused such a fuss within the NZ Wine Industry or generated so much commentary outside of it. 2008 was somewhat of a watershed moment for the industry - A MASSIVE crop of Sauvignon Blanc in Marlborough led to capacity & processing issues, as well as significant discounting within the market (not a bad thing for us consumers!). Parallels were being drawn to the Australian Wine Industry, and encouragingly New Zealand was able to learn from the mistakes relatively quickly - the aim of course to avoid another glut of (sometimes poor) Sauvignon Blanc and potentially disastrous results across the industry. We've all been anxiously waiting nervously to see the outcome of the 2009 Marlborough crop, particularly Sauvignon Blanc, to determine if quality levels were restored and supply issues resolved.
In a nut-shell, all the commentary suggests that 2009 was a good, though not great vintage - Better than 2008 for sure, but perhaps not as good as 2007 (We still have some '07 SB available on the site and the advice is - SNAP THEM UP! They are drinking beautifully now). Many suppliers have reduced crop levels to focus on quality, not quantity - a move we can only applaud. Bob Campbell noted in a recent '09 tasting on his website that " Flavours are ripe without showing a lot of very ripe tropical fruit and passion fruit characters. Acidities are high but the wines show good purity and energy. Variation in quality was less than I expected...There was a thankful absence of bad wines".
Encouraging signs then. The even better news for consumers is that the increase in quality is unlikely to be matched by increased prices. Wineries still have a fair amount of '08 stock to move before rolling over to 2009 (out of 30 Sauvignon Blancs on our site, only one has moved to 2009 - Oyster Bay). This is again great for the consumer, as Sauvignon Blanc (like most wines) are best left for a few months in the bottle before consumption - giving them time to settle down and allowing their favourable qualities to develop. You can read a full vintage report HERE.
Product Update
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New Wines Added to the site
Spy Valley Riesling 2008 - A wonderfully balanced wine, and a great intro to Riesling to those who have been put off by bone-dry austere styles in the past
Spy Valley 'Envoy' Pinot Gris VT 2006 (dessert wine) - Wonderfully indulgent sticky from Spy Valley's premium range
Totara Marlborough Pinot Noir 2008 - New Pinot Noir from Marlborough, and one of the few available for under $20 - Currently on special.
Jules Taylor Marlborough Pinot Gris 2008 - A relatively new label in the market, we currently have this new addition to our site on special.
Ata Rangi 'Crimson' Pinot Noir 2008 - Ata Rangi's second label with proceeds donated to NZ conservation projects. A stunning Pinot for the price - Less than half the cost of their top-tier and made by the same winemaker, Clive Paton.
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Stock with Limited Quantities
Te Mata Elston Chardonnay 2007 - One of New Zealand's great chardonnays, we have only 18 bottles left before rolling to 2008
Te Mata Bullnose Syrah 2007 - One of our favourite Syrahs from the Hawkes Bay's best vintage in recent memory. Only 4 bottles left before a long drought for the next release of the '08.
Te Mata Coleraine 2007 - 'New Zealand's Best Wine' according to wine writer Sam Kim. Only 12 bottles left before a long drought for the next release of the '08.
Spy Valley Noble Riesling 2008 - Just one bottle left. Our distributors are unsure when more will become available later this year.
Felton Rd Central Otago Pinot Noir 2008 - 96/100 in the latest Gourmet Traveller Wine magazine. We have just 6 bottles left and then a 3 week gap before just 24 more bottles arrive. Contact us on 1800 756 771 to pre-order.
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