Pale yellow color; lime, grapefruit, lemon, grass on the nose; lemon-lime, ruby grapefruit, lemongrass, white peach on the palate.
Dry (1.6 g/L RS); medium body; crisp, excellent acidity (3.18 pH); some depth and complexity from extended time on the lees; zesty, dry finish. Classic Marlborough sauvignon blanc that is example why New Zealand has joined the world’s Pantheon of sauv blanc regions.
Their website says it well: “There is something very special about Marlborough. We are yet to visit a more ideally located wine region and a climate more suited to high quality cool-climate viticulture. Its high sunshine hours, crisp clean air, low summer rainfall and virgin soils make for consistently high quality wines. Having followed and now lived with Marlborough’s progression over the last 15 years, we continue to be fascinated by the diversity of styles of wine that this region can produce, the sub-regional variation and excited by what may evolve in the future as the region matures.
“Our philosophy is simple—source outstanding fruit from exceptional vineyard sites. We believe the most critical decision in winemaking is deciding when to pick. Once harvested, our role is to simply steer the fruit in the right direction in order to best express the vibrant fruit flavours that Marlborough is renowned for while respecting the subtle differences of each site.
“Our aspiration at Crowded House is to produce wines that capture the very essence of Marlborough, with vibrant and fresh aromatics, powerful fruit concentration and a refreshing, cleansing acid finish. These wines are about fruit purity, and our aim is for them to be equally enjoyable to drink by themselves amongst friends, as they are paired with a variety of foods.”
Crowded House Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough 2016 presents excellent, crisp acidity that makes Marlborough sauv blanc such a great food wine. Bright, fresh, citrus plays well with the clean acidity backbone. Nice and pure finish. Pair with seafood, Asian cuisine, summer salads, and to about anything else save fat-dominated rich red meats. $12-14
