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. 

Churton Estate's Natural State Pied de Cuve is made by second generation winemakers, Ben and Jack Weaver, who use grapes from the Loin Vineyard, which is family owned and farmed using biodynamic principles. This Sauvignon Blanc was whole bunch pressed into old oak puncheons and fermented with wild yeasts which were cultured from the vineyard. It was aged for a year on yeast lees and bottled without fining or filtration, so it is vegan friendly. A small addition of SO2 was added at bottling to retain freshness. 

Churton Estate founder and winemaker Sam Weaver cut his teeth on the classic wines of the world while working in fine wine retail in the United Kingdom. He and his wife Mandy Weaver then moved to New Zealand and set about creating one of this country's most focussed small wineries; a brand that does live up to the dream of creating 100% estate grown grapes, 100% certified organic production and 100% bottled on site, nearly all of the wines without fining or filtration. All the grapes are hand picked and natural yeasts ferment the vast majority of wines they make. These qualitative decisions impact every step of their winemaking in a positive fashion, providing exceptional quality grapes which in turn express themselves in outstanding wines.

The Natural State wines are the brainchild of second generation family winemakers, Ben and Jack Weaver.

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.

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.

This Sauvignon Blanc is all about precision and feel. Bright notes of green apple and fennel glide over a chalk-dusted, subtly creamy core.

A firm mineral seam underpins the wine, while layers of grapefruit zest and savoury tomato leaf build in complexity. It tapers to a dry, grainy finish with an almost tactile grip.

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand cricketing legend, Ross Taylor. This one is named after Ross Taylor's 181 not out off 147 balls. This was Ross's highest ODI score and helped the Black Caps chase down England's 335/9 at the University Oval in Dunedin on March 7, 2018.

Auntsfield continues the proud heritage of Marlborough’s first vineyard and winery established in 1873. Their Single Vineyard wines are made from grapes grown at Auntsfield Estate. Each wine shows the distinctive characteristics of ripeness, texture and minerality – qualities unique to the ancient Greywacke rock and Loess clay soils of the vineyard. Lifted and pure aromas of fresh passionfruit, ripe citrus and lime. Notes of dried herbs, lemongrass, papaya and rock melon add intensity to the ripe aromatics. Vibrant, generous and elegant. This wine displays intense ripe fruit with generous stone fruit weight and tropical guava and melon flavours which are complimented by citrus notes of lime and mandarin peel. The palate has intense concentration and generous weight, balanced by an underlying minerality and textural balance.

A textural style Sauvignon that is layered and complex, with a racy mineral backbone, thanks to the alluvial gravels of the Martinborough terrace and the unique growing conditions of Martinborough.

W I N E M A K E R S   N O T E 

From the exceptional 2024 vintage this is our first release of Sauvignon Blanc under the Escarpment label. Fermentation was conducted in a range of stainless-steel tanks, along with 20% in French Oak puncheons, 2% of the blend in new oak and a small portion fermented on skins. A mix of indigenous and inoculated yeast were used. Aged for 6 months before bottling.  This is a Sauvignon that showcases sophistication and texture, along with a limey/mineral backbone that gives great length and purity, and a moreish finish that will have you reaching for another glass.

T A S T I N G 

Gooseberry, nettle and guava are accompanied by lifted white floral notes, with the fruit sitting in the tropical spectrum. The palate is hinged together by textural elements that are balanced by restrained, but intense, fruit weight. There is a lovely seam of limey acidity that brings drive and offers a long lingering finish to the wine. It showcases the minerality and purity we get in white wines grown on the alluvial gravels.

Swiftsure Sauvignon Blanc is blended from carefully selected sites to capture the essence of Marlborough. Like contrasting combinations of colour, the vivid hues and muted shades of the Marlborough landscape and the tinted waters of both river and sea evoke a sensation of the purity of nature captured within the wine; mineral, fresh, ripe, and delicious.

Their Southern Coast Vineyard is situated in Marlboroughs southernmost sub-region in the shadow of the Kaikoura Ranges.

Its relatively elevated position and the influence of the cooler coastal climate and sea breeze result in lower yields and concentrated flavours.

Bursting with aromas; an abundance of tropical fruits, crisp citrus, punchy jalapeno, and fresh herbs this wine showcases the intensity that has made Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc famous the world over. The palate is refined and classical with a vibrancy of fruit and a mineral purity that creates a sense of sophistication and elegance.