Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc: An Icon

Though France may have birthed the majority of New World vinifera varietals, given them names, and raised them with distinct personality; there’s one particular grape that is most famed not for its birthplace in the hills of Sancerre, but on the other side of the planet, in another hemisphere entirely. The grape in question is Sauvignon Blanc, and most would regard it strictly as property of the Kiwis.

Though the grape had some level of prevalence in English high-culture when grown in its home of the eastern Loire Valley, it really took on a new personality entirely when grown in New Zealand, oft considered the grape’s natural home. But Sauvignon Blanc’s tenure in New Zealand has been noticeably short. Realistically, the grape was only first planted in the mid-seventies, and it would be another ten years or so before we’d see staple brands pop up like Kim Crawford, Cloudy Bay, and Jackson Estate.

After their introduction to the public, however, it was only a matter of time before even the French were attempting to copy the Kiwi style of Sauvignon Blanc. Sancerre itself look on a leaner, lighter and more mineralic persona, when growers began to pick earlier, and prevent malolactic conversions. Their wines always tasted more honeyed, and apple-like with cut grass aromas, rather than what was notable in the Kiwi wines.

If you’ve never had Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand you probably are unfamiliar with the term zippy. A rate cold-maritime climate wine growing area, the town of Marlborough is unlike any other wine producing region in the new world. Sure, one will notice an exasperating amount of fruit, but the level of acidity in these wines has always been a major focus for winemakers here.

The typical Marlborough Sauvignon tends to highlight the pyrazinic character of a wine, where California wines of the time certainly were not, which was odd, because critics raved about the new style in the late eighties and up until the nineties. Sauvignon Blanc, the parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, is susceptible the green bell pepper-like character that plagues all Fer Servadou descendants when underripe. However, what once was seen as a wine fault, by the mid-eighties had become a well sought after character in whites.

Wine critics describe the Marlborough style of winemaking as cat pee on a gooseberry plant. Acidity is sharp, with aromas of jalapeño, green bell pepper, underripe lime and gooseberry. There’s often a hint of step, cut grass and even white pepper in the more complex versions made by expert winemakers. But that is generally about it. Despite their lack of complexity in some cases, they certainly are refreshing and easy to drink. They also make a fine substitute for lager after some physical labor.

The secret to these flavors obviously comes from terroir, certainly, but more important is the sense of perspective which allows these wines to continue to get more fragrant and aromatic. Grapes are picked slightly early; a practice once considered taboo, now really all the more common. They are color held with the addition of sulfur dioxide right after fermentation to prevent malolactic conversion. Then they are stainless-steel aged, to add reductive properties, and keep the wines from oxidizing or catching vanilla flavors from the introduction of wood. That’s the classic style.

More and more, however, we see examples of producers encouraging malolactic, and aging in barrels in an attempt to leave behind the traditional Marlborough touches, but realistically, consumers still understand what to expect, a lot of the industry relies on consistency of marketing the regional wines. Sancerre has since begun to take drastic action to convert back to what the region was known for before the epidemic of the Marlborough cat pee. Though they have always touted the impeccable minerality supposedly wrought on by their tuffeau soils; styles are becoming richer, and slightly more honeyed from some staple producers.

The terroir of Marlborough is vastly different. When exploring the region for the first time, you will find incredibly arid alluvial soils, and a consistently high amount of infertile, low-nitrogen loess deposits. Even the rabbits are packing a lunch here. Prior to grape growing, the region had plentiful sheep, but little grazing, those unfortunate enough to live in New Zealand at the time had trouble even earning a living. Grazing was scarce, and nearly nothing could be grown in some years. Total crop loss was not unknown.

The sunshine is the area’s most important factor however, and it helps to ripen the skins, while the oceans breezes cool the flesh of the grapes, leading to smooth finishes in the wine with little in the way of phenolic bitterness, though the grapes exude plenty of their fruit. Vines are trained in a way that maximizes daylight, though canopy development is more encouraged due to the brute force of the sunlight available to the grapes here.

These conditions, as you may be aware, are ripe for grape growing. Fine wine needs vines that can struggles, and young Kiwis had discovered the area was prime terroir in the nineteen sixties and began planting cold climate grapes with the intent of selling their crop to some of the larger winemaking operations in New South Wales, though little did they know they’d stumbled on something quite unique.

Though grapes and been planted in this area for some time, the region’s first winery having been established in the eighteen fifties, Sauvignon was new, and experimental plantings were pioneered by Hawk’s Bay’s Montana Estate, which has since be called Brancott Estate. These pioneering Kiwis wanted access to more affordable land in order to plant Sauvignon to sell at a lower price point. The wine they made took the world by storm.

This wine is fantastic in its aromatics. On the nose, you’ll get the typical grapefruit with requisite cilantro, and even a pit of sour pineapple, and cut grass. Interestingly, the acidity isn’t as brisk as typical, but the wine is incredibly refreshing. I noticed some aromas of white peach or white tulip. There’re some lime peel, and gooseberry flavors, with a bit of white pepper. Notably this wine is one of the more affordable wines from Marlborough, and is relatively available. If you can find this estate in your local wine store, it’s interesting to note that this is the first of its kind.

Though seen at first as an afterthought in terms of overall production for New Zealand, this region is now responsible for over eighty-five percent of the nation’s total wine exports, and seventy-five percent of the industry. It’s the bulk of production by far, and the region makes wines that are synonymous with the country. Notably, New Zealand Sauvignon is the highest-priced per liter of any wine for sale today in regards to volume exports.

Surprisingly, the Geographical Indication was only established due to some legislation passed in 2018 - so it’s an extremely new designation. To qualify for the designation and use the GI on a wine label, the grapes must be grown entirely in the area encompassed within Marlborough, and be totally Sauvignon Blanc, with no other additional grapes. To date, wines also pass tasting-panel approval by the growers association Appellation Marlborough Wine. These regulations are new for this past year.

If you start in the town of Oaro in the north and ride all the way down to Picton, you’ll still notice the regions sprawling grape plantings never end, as new outlying areas are flanked by outcropped terraces of Sauvignon Blanc even today. To the far south, Kekerengu is one of these such plantings. There are however, three distinct sub-regions within the greater area of Marlborough.

Wairau in the north, contains the regions first plantings. Here you can find the lot of the older estates making wine from Sauvignon Blanc. A whopping forty-five percent of regional estates are located here. The area is located in a position prone to day-long sunlight, which also provides coveted northern aspects. Though the famous bay itself is quite cloudy, inland within this area you will find exposures of sunlight which are far more all-encompassing than towards the bay.

These aforementioned sea breezes can be a calming reassurance of moving air which help prevent nighttime frosts later in the season, however, also help to keep the vines cool during the warm summer evenings delaying ripping much in a similar way as diurnal shift would in other places. The most coveted soils here are a gravel alluvium which can be found on the lower banks of the hills. These are soils of infertile disposition, yet they bring a liveliness to the wine and help to increase the level of minerality, by fine draining the water table in these desirable spots. Commonly however, this area is dominated by alluvial deposits of grey dust with sparse intermixing of gravels.

Cloudy Bay is considered the classic estate making Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand, but little may knowledge have afforded you, it was actually founded by an Aussie. David Hohnen had already been famed for his Australian Semillon blends, was flabbergasted by what he tasted coming out of Marlborough in the mid-eighties. Interested in purchasing land in New Zealand to make his own wines, he first needed the approval of New Zealand authorities, who made an exemption to their protectionist laws for him.

Cloudy Bay is quintessential. These are wines which helped define the Kiwi reputation for gooseberry and cat pee. Though these wines are far more refined than critics may snarl at today. On the latest vintage, there are some delicate white peach notes, cut grass, ripe green bell pepper and guava. Some floral hydrangea and tropical cedar can also be noticed, along with some notes of ripe kiwi. This wine is a wonderful drinking wine, and is incredibly enjoyable for what it’s worth.

The Southern Valleys are a newer GI in New Zealand. These areas are far cooler, and dominated by southerly aspects, which help to preserve acidity in the grapes. It is also notably higher altitude, and less maritime. Dry air here can be quite a relief for growers as Tim means less risk of botrytis in the latter seasons - though often the autumn is an extended period of chilly temperatures protected by the rain shadow afforded from Kaikoura and Wither Hill ranges to the south.

Higher elevations indicate alluvial or glacial action at one point in the region’s history, and in the case of The Southern Valleys, these rifts are the progeny Glacial movement. This means the land here is riddled with glacial deposits of stony gravel embankments, with larger outcroppings of clay, and, in the lower basin, sand and a higher water table. The best areas for growing are on the infertile loess soils on the embankments of the hills.

Though these wines often have a distinct character afforded to them by the cooler temperatures, they are often not labeled as such. There is no common distinction in labeling between any of the major sub-GI’s of Marlborough. Estates here act the same way estates in every other pert of the GI do, often bottling from essentially single plot land holdings generally held in one all-encompassing area.

Auntsfield is one of the larger wineries based out of this subregion and produces a fine Sauvignon Blanc from its single-vineyard landholding. On the nose, there’s grapefruit, cilantro and classic gooseberry. White pepper aftertaste on the palette, though this is flanked but sour mango flavors and ripe Meyer lemon. Acidity comes on distinctly with notes of cat pee and wafting aromas of lime peel. This wine finishes with its brisk acidity and some gunpowder-like aromas of spent brass. One to look out for, certainly.

Awatare Valley is even further to the south, inandabouts the area surrounding the town of Seddon and boasts probably the most distinctive mineral quality of any of the subregions. Westerly bay winds can be a problem here for grape ripping, but they serve to keep restrained acidity and moderate temperatures throughout the extended growing season. Vineyards in this region are terraced to make them easier to work. The valley floor is a flood plain, so vineyards are located up and away within the valley.

Soils here are alluvial deposits of mostly gravel, and clay is far more sparse. The water table is low, and vines must seek minerals and water a greater depths. Rain shadow protects the valley from substantial humidity, though this can be a burden as irrigation is growing increasingly more popular. Wineries committed to sustainable growing, and organic practices hold their ground when it comes to dry farming, though.

That’s all,

~K