Showing posts with label greywacke. Show all posts
Showing posts with label greywacke. Show all posts

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  • Date publishedSaturday, December 9, 2023

Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2022 (New Zealand) - Wine Review



white wine review is a beautiful Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. A perennial winner and a personal favourite of mine, this white wine arrived at the LCBO last weekend as part of the Fine Wines for Festive Entertaining theme in the LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

This white wine is produced by Greywacke, a renowned winery that was established in 2009 by legendary winemaker Kevin Judd. The name "Greywacke" refers to the high prevalence of rounded greywacke river stones found in the vineyard soils in Rapaura, within the Marlborough wine region. Kevin registered the name many years ago while successfully working for a notable New Zealand winery and sought one day to fulfill a dream of having his own wines - a dream that became a reality. Together with his wife, Kimberley, Greywacke remains a family affair that is now located in the Omaka Valley, one of Marlborough's Southern Valleys.

As a pioneer in Marlborough winemaking, Kevin's philosophy is to "keep it simple" while using a hands-on approach with minimal interventionist winemaking techniques. The fruit for all Greywacke wines is sourced from mature vineyards in prime viticultural sites that are sustainably managed, with an ever-increasing portion coming from organically farmed sites.

Each variety is grown and vinified using specific techniques aimed at achieving very specific wine styles, with a common objective of delivering concentration of flavour and a harmonious balance of texture and acidity. For example, to enhance flavour concentration in the grapes, crop levels are restricted, while meticulous canopy management allows for sufficient sun exposure which delivers ripeness of flavour, textural richness, and optimum acid balance. Wild yeast fermentations are used extensively in order to add a savoury character to the flavour profile, while also building structure and a textured mouthfeel. The range of Greywacke wines is primarily focused on Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, plus a number of limited production wines using other varieties. Greywacke is accredited with Appellation Marlborough Wine to ensure provenance, authenticity, and integrity. Kevin is also a renowned photographer with a couple of published photography books, while the label of each Greywacke wine is adorned with his photo.

These days, the Judd family is joined by Richelle Tyney, who joined the team in 2021 and manages the winemaking programme, while also travelling abroad to spread the word about Greywacke wines. In 2019, one of the Judd family's two sons, Alex, plunged himself into the production side of the winemaking team at Greywacke. And in news that is just a couple of weeks old, Greywacke announced that Ben Leonard joined the team to manage the sales and commercial side of their global distribution network.

Like the 2021 Greywacke Savuginon Blanc that I enjoyed last year, this fruit for this vintage was sourced from prime vineyard sites in Marlborough's Southern Valleys and the central Wairau Plains - specifically in Woodbourne, Renwick, and Rapaura. The vines were planted on various soil types, varying from young alluvial soils in Rapaura and Renwick, which contain high proportions of New Zealand's ubiquitous greywacke river stones, to older and denser clay-loams of the Southern Valleys. The majority of the vineyards were trained using the divided Scott Henry canopy management system, with the balance on a two- or three-cane Vertical Shoot Positioning trellis. The grapes were largely machine-harvested during the cool (and often cold) nighttime conditions. Upon arrival at the winery in the Omaka Valley, the grapes were lightly pressed to yield a modest volume of high-quality juice. The juice was then cold-settled and racked prior to fermentation. It was fermented primarily in stainless steel tanks with cultured yeast, while a portion of the juice was allowed to undergo spontaneous indigenous yeast fermentation in old oak barrels. All individual vineyard batches were left on lees and kept separate until late June, when the blend of Sauvignon Blanc was assembled, and then bottled in mid-August.

The 2022 winegrowing season in Marlborough was marked by a cold and wet February, which resulted in big bunches and berries, and an ensuing large harvest which meant that crop-thinning was especially important. However, finer weather during the autumn months delivered optimal fruit ripeness levels While there were challenges during the growing season, many producers successfully managed the vintage to produce some beautifully elegant wines. Let's see how this 2022 Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough is tasting tonight...

Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2022 (92 pts)

Tasting Note:

GREYWACKE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2022 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#164228) (XD) - $26.95
Screw cap. Elegantly ripe with a medium-high intensity nose offers lovely and complex aromas of passion fruit, lime-lemon citrus, and leesy minerals with touches of grapefruit, guava, spice, kiwi, and melon adding nuance. It has a lovely, structured and textured mouthfeel, with equally impressive weight on the medium+ to medium-full bodied palate. It's dry with lovely ripe lime-lemon citrus, passion fruit, guava, and leesy mineral flavours. It's juicy and succulent with fresh, balanced, and saliva-inducing acidity. A touch spicy, plus intriguing notes of mango and melon add further complexity on the mid-palate, while leesy mineral notes linger on the long, juicy finish. Enjoy this highly recommended buy the next 4-5 years. Score: 92 pts

Other fine wines from the Greywacke portfolio can be ordered through their Agent - Connexion Oenophilia / Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.


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  • Date publishedFriday, August 12, 2022

Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2021 (New Zealand) - Wine Review

white wine review is this always terrific Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand. After a one year absence and skipping a couple of vintages, the 2021 vintage of this wine arrives at the LCBO this weekend as part of the LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Greywacke (pronounced Grey-wacky) was established in 2009 by legendary winemaker Kevin Judd. The name refers to the high prevalence of rounded greywacke river stones found in the soils of the vineyard in Rapaura. He registered the name while working for another winery in New Zealand for many successful years and sought to fulfill a dream to create his own wines. This dream became a reality for him and his wife, Kimberley, in 2009 and Greywacke remains a family affair located now in the heart of Marlborough's Omaka Valley, one of the Southern Valleys.

Kevin is a pioneer in Marlborough winemaking and uses a 'keep it simple' and hands-on approach with minimal interventionist winemaking techniques. All of the fruit for Greywacke wines are sourced from mature vineyards in prime viticultural sites. The vineyards are sustainably managed with a substantial and increasing portion coming from organically farmed sites. Crop levels are restricted to enhance concentration of flavours, while meticulous canopy management allows for sufficient sun exposure to deliver ripeness of flavour, textural richness, and optimum acid balance. Greywacke is accredited with Appellation Marlborough Wine to ensure provenance, authenticity and integrity. As a renowned photographer, Kevin's photos adorn the labels of all Greywacke wines.

For the 2021 vintage, the fruit was sourced from various prime vineyard sites in Marlborough's Southern Valleys and the central Wairau Plains, specifically in Woodbourne, Renwick, and Rapaura. This Sauvignon Blanc was grown on various soil types ranging from the young alluvial soils of Rapaura and Renwick which contain high proportions of New Zealand's ubiquitous greywacke river stones, to the older and denser clay-loam soils of the Southern Valleys. The grapes were mostly machine-harvested during cool and often cold night time conditions, then trucked to the winery in the Omaka Valley where they were lightly pressed to yield a modest volume of high-quality juice. It was fermented primarily in stainless steel tanks with cultured yeast, while a smaller portion underwent spontaneous indigenous yeast fermentation in old oak barrels. All individual vineyard batches were kept on their lees and separate until they were blended in late June, and finally bottled in mid-August of last year.

The 2021 growing season produced a smaller crop due to some very cold nights and light frost in September, followed by drought conditions from December to March. However, quality was not compromised as the vintage is described as exceptional with Sauvignon Blanc showing great intensity and balance. Having tasted several previous vintages of this Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc over the years, I fully expect this latest vintage to be just as delightful. Let's see how this 2021 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is tasting tonight...

Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2021 (92+ pts)

Tasting Note:

GREYWACKE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2021 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#164228) (XD) - $25.95
Screw cap. Fragrant, perfumed, and highly aromatic, it is subtly nose-tingling and quite complex with ripe tropical fruit, passion fruit, guava, kiwi, mango, and citrus aromas with delicate floral tones and touches of rock melon and lemongrass. It's medium-full bodied and fleshy with very good concentration and ripe flavour replays of passion fruit, kiwi, guava, zesty citrus, mango, and lemongrass. Nicely textured on the mid-palate, while acids are fresh, juicy, and well-balanced. Leans more floral and citrusy with a sense of minerality on the very long, zesty finish. Keeps getting better every year. Highly recommended buy! Score: 92+ pts

Other excellent wines by Greywacke are available at the LCBO and through their Agent - Connexion Oenophilia.


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  • Date publishedSaturday, February 26, 2022

Greywacke Riesling 2020 (New Zealand) - Wine Review

After enjoying the excellent 2018 Greywacke Riesling back in October 2020, white wine review is the latest vintage of this lovely medium-dry (i.e. slightly sweet) Riesling from New Zealand which arrived at the LCBO as a VINTAGES Online Exclusive as part of the recent LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Greywacke (pronounced Greywacky) is the Marlborough label of the Judd family and named after New Zealand's most abundant bedrock. After many successful years working for another winery, the renowned and one of Marlborough's pioneer winemakers, Kevin Judd fulfilled a lifelong dream to create his own label of wines and established Greywacke in 2009. Situated in the heart of Marlborough's Omaka Valley, Greywacke is a family affair with a "keep it simple and hands-on" approach.

The fruit for Greywacke wines are sourced from prime viticultural sites from vineyards that are sustainably managed, and an increasing amount from organically farmed vineyards. Crop levels are restricted to enhance flavour concentration and a long, cool growing season produces fruit with incredible varietal intensity and bright, natural acidity. Greywacke is accredited with Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW), ensuring provenance, authenticity and integrity. In the winery, a minimal-interventionist approach to winemaking is adopted, along with extensive use of wild (indigenous) yeast fermentations to create wines with personality and individuality. Although the Greywacke range of wines is primarily based on just two varieties - Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, limited edition releases of other wines such as this Riesling complement the lineup.

The grapes for this Riesling are from the 24-year-old certified organic Ashmore Vineyard in Fairhall, adjacent to the mouth of the Brancott Valley on gravelly clay-loam soils. The fruit was hand-picked at moderate ripeness levels to capture the exuberance and natural acidity of the variety. After whole-bunch pressing and very low maceration press cycle, half of the juice was fermented in stainless steel, while the other half underwent spontaneous indigenous yeast fermentation in old French oak barriques. Towards the end of fermentation, all of the wine was transferred into stainless steel and fermentation was stopped. The blended wine was aged in old barrels on its yeast lees for five months, then bottled in November 2020.

While the 2020 vintage will be remembered as the year of abnormal working conditions due to the pandemic, the growing season was slightly warmer than average and delivered superb fruit quality. Let's see how this excellent Marlborough Riesling is tasting tonight...

Greywacke Riesling 2020 (93 pts)

Tasting Note:

GREYWACKE RIESLING 2020 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#14556) (M) - $29.95
Screw cap. Intense, gorgeously scented bouquet of flowers, lime citrus, white peach, and petrol with whiffs of mineral rise out of the glass. On the impressively concentrated palate it has a very good textured mouthfeel and an off-dry flavour profile of lime citrus, ripe apple, leesy mineral, white flowers, and subtle spicy tones. Impeccably balanced with fresh and juicy acids, while leesy mineral and lime notes taper to a dry, textured finish, with excellent length. Wow! Highly recommended buy to enjoy towards the end of the decade. Score: 93 pts

Small quantities of other Greywacke wines are available at the LCBO, while the rest of the portfolio can be ordered through their Agent - Connexion Oenophilia.


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  • Date publishedThursday, December 2, 2021

Greywacke Marlborough Pinot Gris 2017 (New Zealand) - Wine Review

wine review is this excellent, off-dry Pinot Gris from New Zealand that arrived at the LCBO in limited quantities over the weekend as part of the recent LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Greywacke (pronounced Greywacky) is the Marlborough label of iconic winemaker Kevin Judd. After spending many years working at another winery, he wanted to create his own label of wines and established Greywacke in 2009. The name comes from New Zealand's most abundant bedrock and these understated grey river stones are found throughout Marlborough's rivers alluvial vineyard soils.

Today, Greywacke is very much a Judd family affair with a keep it simple and hands-on approach, with minimal intervention techniques adopted for winemaking. Greywacke is located in the heart of Marlborough's Omaka Valley, one of the Southern Valleys, and the fruit is sourced from mature vineyards in prime viticultural sites. All of the vineyards are sustainably managed, with substantial and increasing portions coming from organically farmed sites. Kevin is also a renowned photographer, using his own photos that adorn the labels of his wines.

Much of fruit for this 100% Pinot Gris is from the Selection Ovaille and Mission clones grown at the Wrekin Terrace Vineyard in the Brancott Valley, a valley floor site on gravelly clay-loam soils that is typical of the Southern Valleys. A smaller parcel of fruit is from the Entav 52 clone that is known for its small bunch and berry size and was grown at the Riverbrook Vineyard in Rapaura where the young alluvial soils contain high proportions of greywacke river stones. All of the grapes were hand-picked at high ripeness levels, then whole bunch pressed. Most of the resulting juice was naturally fermented with indigenous yeast in old French oak barriques, while the rest was fermented with cultured yeast in stainless steel tanks. Towards the end of the fermentation, all of the wine was combined into stainless steels tanks, then aged on yeast lees for a year, with 6 months spent in old barrels followed by 6 months in stainless steel tanks.

While I had the pleasure and honour of tasting this same Pinot Gris at the winery with Kevin back in March 2020, I am curious to see how it has evolved and tasting tonight...

Greywacke Marlborough Pinot Gris 2017 (93 pts)

Tasting Note:

GREYWACKE MARLBOROUGH PINOT GRIS 2017 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#994939) (D) - $29.95
Screw cap. The medium-high intensity nose offers an initial flinty, sulphide, yeasty mineral, and lightly nose tingling experience, but laying underneath are rich, ripe and complex aromas of stone fruit, pear, apple, peach, citrus, floral, and grapefruit with touches of honey. On the rich, ripe, concentrated, and creamy palate are off-dry flavours of poached pear, ginger, honey, and spice. Slightly warming on the mid-palate, but still well-balanced with juicy acidity. Honeyed ginger, citrus, spice, and yeasty minerals linger on the long finish, with excellent length. Highly recommended buy! Score: 93 pts

Small quantities of other excellent wines from Greywacke are available at the LCBO, while other wines from their portfolio can be ordered through their Agent - Connexion Oenophilia.


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  • Date publishedThursday, October 29, 2020

Greywacke Riesling 2018 (New Zealand) - Wine Review

I had the opportunity to taste this fantastic Riesling back in March, in New Zealand with winemaker Kevin Judd (a full report on this is coming soon), and am delighted to see it come to . For wine review, we take a look at how this Riesling has evolved, 8 months after my first tasting.

I have tasted many wines from Greywacke over the years and they have all been excellent. Greywacke is the Marlborough label of iconic winemaker Kevin Judd. After many successful years at Cloudy Bay, he fulfilled a long held dream with his wife Kimberley to have his own vineyard and winery. The name 'Greywacke' comes from the high prevalence of rounded greywacke river stones found in the soils of the vineyard in Rapaura. Kevin focuses on quality winemaking and sources fruit mostly from mature vineyards within the central Wairau Plains and the Southern Valleys, such as this single vineyard Riesling from 21-year-old vines. These prime viticultural sites are cultivated using yield restricting vineyard management, and a number of these are owned by the Sutherland family (Dog Point).

Kevin makes his wines at Dog Point Winery in the lower Brancott Valley, a facility extended to him by Ivan Sutherland and James Healy - long-standing friends and industry colleagues who go back to their days together at Cloudy Bay. The Greywacke portfolio is primarily based on Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, but there are also limited release wines such as this Riesling. Kevin is also an accomplished photographer and uses his own photos on Greywacke wine labels.

Greywacke Riesling 2018 (91 pts)

Tasting Note:

GREYWACKE RIESLING 2018 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#14556) (M) - $29.95
This single vineyard Riesling is from 27-year-old vines. Half of this wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks, while the other half underwent spontaneous indigenous yeast fermentation in old French oak barriques. Both halves of this wine also spent about 4 months in barrels on yeast lees. Screw cap. Lovely, highly aromatic nose is slightly reductive and features earthy mineral, leesy, and petrol notes followed by lime zest, citrus, and floral aromas. It has lively, vibrant acidity on the medium+ bodied palate with fine concentration. Nicely textured with citrus, floral, and apple flavours. There's some sweetness, but it is relatively hidden due to the high acidity. Apple, floral, and stony mineral notes linger on the long, lip-smacking finish. Lovely! Score: 91 pts

Other delightful wines from the Greywacke portfolio are available in LCBO VINTAGES, as well as through their Agent - Connexion Oenophilia.


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  • Date publishedMonday, February 10, 2020

Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2018 (New Zealand) - Wine Review

wine review is a lovely Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand that will be arriving in LCBO VINTAGES on .

It is produced by the legendary Kevin Judd at Greywacke - his Marlborough label on the South Island of New Zealand. Greywacke is the fulfillment of a long-held dream, a name adopted by Kevin and his wife Kimberley for their first Marlborough vineyard located in Rapaura which has a high prevalence of rounded greywacke stones in the soils of the vineyard. I am excited to be visiting New Zealand later this month and will be meeting up with Kevin at Greywacke and hope to see these stones in person. Stay tuned.

The grapes for this Sauvignon Blanc were sourced from various prime vineyard sites in Marlborough's Southern Valleys, the central Wairau Plains (specifically in Woodbourne, Renwick, and Rapaura), and a spectacular river terrace site in the upper Awatere Valley. Soil types vary from the young alluvial soils of Rapaura, Renwick and the upper Awatere, which contain high proportions of New Zealand’s ubiquitous greywacke river stones, to the older and denser clay-loams of the Southern Valleys.

The previous three vintages of the Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc that I tasted have all been amazing, high-quality wines - and perhaps not really surprising given who is behind these wines - so, I fully expect this latest vintage to also be delicious! The 2018 vintage was very warm and humid, but also very wet, resulting in a challenging year that promises to deliver quality wines. Let's see how the 2018 is tasting tonight...

Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2018 (91 pts)

Tasting Note:

GREYWACKE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#164228) (XD) - $24.95
Screw cap. Ripe, medium-high intensity nose delivers guava, kiwi, passion fruit, tropical fruit, gooseberry, and citrus aromas with a fine mineral underpinning. It is medium-bodied with good weight to the fruit and slightly creamy textured. Zesty citrus, ripe kiwi, guava, and passion fruit flavours with touches of spice and floral are lifted by the fresh, vibrant acidity. Fine mineral and lime zest notes linger on the long, crisp finish, with excellent length. Lovely, as always. Score: 91 pts


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  • Date publishedTuesday, March 6, 2018

Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2016 (New Zealand) - Wine Review

wine is featured on the cover of the latest LCBO VINTAGES Release on .

When I tasted the 2014 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc and 2015 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc, both wines were excellent in my books, so I am expecting another high quality wine this vintage. Yields were up in New Zealand after the small 2015 vintage. However, the biggest difference in 2016 in Marlborough, where this white wine is from, is the larger than average berry size which should result in wines with an emphasis on thiols (i.e. passionfruit flavours) over methoxypyrazines (i.e. herbal flavours).

Greywacke was formed by Kevin Judd to fulfil a long-held dream and is named after the rounded greywacke river stones that were found at his first Marlborough vineyard located in Rapaura. The grapes for this wine were sourced from various prime vineyard sites in Marlborough’s Southern Valleys, the central Wairau Plains (specifically in Woodbourne, Renwick and Rapaura), and a spectacular river terrace site in the upper Awatere Valley. All individual vineyard batches were left on lees and kept separate until the blend was finally assembled.

Since this wine was just placed on LCBO VINTAGES shelves last weekend, there are still quite a few bottles available for you to buy now and enjoy over the Summer.

Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2016 (91 pts)

Tasting Note:

GREYWACKE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2016 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#164228) (XD) - $24.95
Screw cap. The expressive nose opens with flinty mineral followed by guava, kiwi, tropical fruit, gooseberry and hints of lemon drops at the tail end. On the plump medium-bodied palate, this offers crisp, bright, and crunchy acids with ripe guava, white grapefruit, melon and tropical fruit flavours. Finishes long with fine minerality. A substantial Sauv Blanc that will be succulent with oysters. Score: 91 pts


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  • Date publishedSaturday, May 6, 2017

Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2015 (New Zealand) - Wine Review

After following up on celebration of International Sauvignon Blanc Day, wine is also a Sauvignon Blanc that will be arriving on LCBO shelves as part of the VINTAGES Release.

Greywacke is the Marlborough label of one of the region's pioneer winemakers, Kevin Judd. The name comes from his first Marlborough vineyard located in Rapaura where there is an high prevalence of rounded greywacke river stones in the soils of the vineyard.

I tasted the 2014 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc in February of last year and am curious to see how this latest vintage turned out. In 2014, the quality of the fruit was considered above-average, along with the largest ever vintage in Marlborough. For the 2015 vintage, quality across South Island was good, but crop yields were lower, resulting in less wine produced; it was also a very dry summer in Marlborough, resulting in greater concentration than the 2014s.

Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2015 (92 pts)

Tasting Note:

GREYWACKE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2015 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#164228) (XD) - $24.95
Screw cap. Medium-high intensity aromatics are clean and elegant with subtle nuances of lemon zest, herbs, yellow flowers, tropical fruit and a fine mineral note. There's very good fruit concentration on the medium-bodied palate, balanced by zesty acids and fine minerally texture. Ripe stone fruits and lemon flavours are followed by hints of melon, orange and ripe tropical fruits, all nicely balanced. Stony mineral notes linger on the very long finish. Wow. This is excellent! Must buy. Score: 92 pts


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  • Date publishedWednesday, February 10, 2016

Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2014 (New Zealand) - Wine Review

wine is from the Marlborough label of Kevin Judd, one of Marlborough's pioneer winemakers. The name Greywacke was adopted by Kevin and his wife for their first Marlborough vineyard in Rapaura in recognition of the high prevalence of rounded greywacke stones found in the soils of the vineyard. Kevin registered the name back in 1993 with the idea that he would use it on a wine label one day. But it was only in 2009 - after making wine for Cloudy Bay for 25 years - that he established his own label - Greywacke.

The fruit for this wine was sourced from Marlborough's Southern Valleys and the central Wairau Plains. Soil types vary from the young alluvial soils of the Wairau Plains that contain high proportions of New Zealand’s ubiquitous greywacke river stones, to the older and denser clay-loams of the Southern Valleys. Greywacke wines are made by Kevin at Dog Point Winery in the lower Brancott Valley, a facility extended to him by long-standing friends and colleagues Ivan Sutherland and James Healy.

This delicious white wine will be available in the LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2014 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (91 pts)

Tasting Note:

GREYWACKE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2014 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#164228) (XD) - $23.95
Screw cap. Very fragrant grassy nose with hints of kiwi, gooseberry, grapefruit and some citrus zest. The light-to-mid-weighted palate is clean and crisp with vibrant acidity. Grapefruit, minerals, gooseberry, kiwi and citrus flavour profile. Extremely well-balanced from start to end. Excellent length with mineral and lemon notes on the finish. This is superb and highly recommended. Buy this on and save it for patio weather. Score: 91 pts


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