A complex, dry, super succulent Sauvignon Blanc from the great North Canterbury wine region; one of the most unsung areas in New Zealand's wine industry. This superb Sauvignon Blanc shows why. Concentrated deep and rich flavours of ripe passionfruit combine with creamy textures and a long finish in a great white that is dry, expressively Kiwi in taste and sings of the South Island's potential for outstanding white wines. 

Smith & Sheth is a relatively new wine brand, which is made by extremely experienced wine hands. Viticulturist and Master of Wine Steve Smith sourced grapes for this wine from low yielding old vines averaging 25 years in age from the rocky, bony soils around the Renwick township in Marlborough. These were blended with biodynamically grown grapes from the elevated slopes of Sam and Mandy Weaver's Churton Vineyard. The result is a concentrated, refreshing and super intense Sauvignon with drive and backbone, coupled with the refreshing tang provided by bright acidity, which makes every sip linger. 

Commercial Description

Our Ballochdale Vineyard in Marlborough is soul food for everyone who visits. its isolation, elevation and breath taking views simply fill you up. Our beautifully structured Sauvignon captures its special character with every sip. Flavours reminiscent of limes and nettle flowers with hints of green melon all wrapped around a  delicious acidity and natural fruit ripeness.

Close your eyes and think of warm sunshine and snowy mountain peaks. This wine takes you there.

This compact and convenient little half bottle contains Astrolabe Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, one of New Zealand's great classic dry whites. 

Winemaker Simon Waghorn brings grapes together from three sub regions of Marlborough to make this dry, full bodied style of Sauvignon Blanc. Vineyards in the Wairau Valley, Awatere Valley and Kekerengu Coast (the most southern of Marlborough's vineyards) all combine to make this succulent dry wine with its ripe flavours of tropical fruit balanced by green notes. 

All grapes are machine harvested at night or in the cool parts of the day to preserve the purity and intensity of flavours. WInemaker Simon Waghorn blends to suit what he thinks is Astrolabe?s style, which reflects what he has learnt as a winemaker and drinker over the years. This means he aims to create a Sauvignon that tastes dry, expressive and elegantly balanced with flavours of passionfruit, blackcurrant leaf and gooseberry. 

The story of Astrolabe

Diversity, history and family ownership are among the reasons to try the outstanding range of wines from Astrolabe, which was founded in 1996 in Marlborough by winemaker Simon Waghorn and his partner in life and wine, Jane. 

Simon has forged a reputation for being one of New Zealand's most respected producers of aromatic white wines after winning an almost embarrassingly long string of awards for his Sauvignon Blancs. He has also forged a name for adventurously diverse winemaking - he produces dry flinty whites from the most southern vineyard in Marlborough at Kekerengu on the coast about an hour's drive south of Blenheim. He is the only winemaker to produce wines from here. 

He is also one of the few in this country to make Albarino, Chenin Blanc and a consistently outstanding range of wines from the organically certified hillside sloping site that is the Wrekin Vineyard in Marlborough. 

The winery remains family owned and is now run by two generations, including Simon and Jane as well as their adult daughters. 

One of the best value Sauvignon Blancs made in New Zealand and a zesty little charmer with its vibrant tropical and fresh herb aromas, coupled with tingling acidity and a long finish. 

Outstanding value for money. 

Convergence is made from grapes sourced from five different vineyards in the Marlborough region. Each region offers its own flavour profile and unique character. 

This Sauvignon Blanc offers fennel, fresh herb and tomato leaf aromas with subtle notes of passionfruit and nettle. Dry and salty to taste, persistent flavours of zesty citrus and Greengage plum are revealed alongside bright, crunchy acidity. The flinty yet lively palate has a lovely creamy texture and a long smooth finish.

This Sauvignon Blanc is a great example of the Martinborough terroir. The nose is lush with tree fruit and mineral notes. A creamy texture and lower acidity add real weight and fullness to the wine, along with some mild fruity flavours on the palate.

The fruit for this wine comes from a small parcel in the Byrne vineyard, located in the Conder’s Bend area of Marlborough.

The vines are managed organically and are planted on gravels that would have once been a river bed. The stoney soils provide both drainage and heat retention which are essential for this cooler site.

The grapes were hand-picked, whole-cluster pressed and taken straight to French barriques without any chemical additions. It was fermented with indigenous yeast in the barrels, helping to add complexity and texture, without dominating the nose.

The wine was left on yeast lees for fifteen months, which were stirred regularly. This meant that the yeast added both savoury notes and also served to work as a natural fining agent. After time in barrique it was gently racked then bottled without fining.

Great classic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc with freshness and tropical fruit aromas tempered by a nervy backbone of bright acidity that runs through each vibrant, summery sip of this fruit forward wine. Complex notes come through in a creamy mid palate, which is an expression of lees contact post fermentation in stainless steel tanks. This adds richness and breadth to the wine as well as length of flavour.

Forrest Estate Sauvignon Blanc is made from a blend of grapes grown on four vineyards located around Renwick in the Wairau River Valley. Whilst all
have their own characteristics, they share in common the Wairau plains, gravel rich, free draining and devigourating soil profile. This classical Marlborough terroir is critical in achieving the smaller berries and lower cropping levels needed to produce premium Sauvignon Blanc.

Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc is an iconic New Zealand wine with depth, complexity and a dry style.  Fermentation is carried out mostly in stainless steel tanks which delivers freshness and directly fruit flavours, which are balanced by a small portion of the wine, typically 4% of the blend, being fermented at warmer temperatures in old French oak barriques. A little goes a long way and this oak fermentation provides a smoothness, softness and flavoursome interest to this deliciously complex Sauvignon Blanc. Its flavour notes span the spectrum of appealing tropical fruit and herbs to dry spicy aromas and a lingering freshness on the long finish. 

These complex winemaking factors combine to create a wine that is a noticeable step up from many other Sauvignon Blancs on the market.

If you’re looking for complexity and recogniseably familiar flavours, try out Cloudy Bay’s top tier Sauvignon Blanc, known simply Te Koko, which is made from grapes grown on some of this iconic winery’s oldest vineyards, which produce grapes with high concentration and intense aromatics.

After gentle pressing and settling for a period of 24 hours, the juice is racked directly to French oak barrels, a small portion of which is new (typically less than 10%) where it undergoes a slow steady fermentation initiated by indigenous yeasts. The wine rests in barrel on fine lees for about seven months. Whilst in barrel, the wine undergoes a partial malolactic fermentation and then careful maturation in the cellar creates the unique texture and acid profile of Te Koko.

Aromatically, Te Koko unfolds with a complex array of citrus and stone fruit, complemented by exotic floral notes on the finish. the use of oak at fermentation.