Nose

Zesty citrus with white stone fruits. 

Palate

Luscious, abundant gooseberry aromas follow through onto the palate where it explodes with a full on citrus zing that is balanced by fantastic texture. The finish is clean, crisp and refreshing. 

Production

The wine is dominated by 50% Awatere Valley fruit, with vineyards located on both sides of the river in three sub-regions. Soils on the south bank are deep silt loams and fertile, while the north bank sites are stony, shallow silt loams, and lighter in structure.

A dry and windy climate in this valley leads to small, thick-skinned berries with an emphasis on herbal intensity. Wairau Valley sites in the Rapaura district and the Southern Valleys make up much of the rest of the blend. These are warmer areas, and the soils vary between deep fertile loams, gravelly alluvium and clays. Fruit from these sites is often more tropical, with some ripe citrus characters.

Vines are all managed with vertical shoot positioning, and pruned to leave balanced bud numbers and crop levels consistent with individual site capacity. Picking decisions are made entirely on flavour, skin-contact is minimised and cool fermentations with neutral yeast in stainless steel tanks preserve the crisp, fresh varietal nature of the fruit.

Specifications

A crisp, expressive example of Sauvignon Blanc from Languedoc

Tasting Notes

It presents tropical and citrus aromas, such as passionfruit, grapefruit, and ripe melon complemented refreshing backbone of natural acidity and a well-balanced finish.

Production

100% Sauvignon Blanc from Pays d’Oc, harvested on marly soils and gravelly clay, offering full, ample flavors and aromatic freshness. Exclusively matured in stainless steel tanks to preserve the freshness and character of the fruit. This wine holds the HVE certification, which signifies that biodiversity elements are extensively present on the farm and that farming practices minimize environmental impact.

Producer

The harvest comes from the town of Lugny, situated on a 105-hectare plateau composed of clay-limestone soil. This area faces south-southeast, optimal sun exposure. The vines, averaging over 40 years in age, are predominantly Chardonnay, specifically the « muscatés » variety, which imparts a distinctive character to the wine.

Specifications

 Inspired by the fanciful tales of Pierre Renard and his father, .......

Tasting Notes

The 2023 is a blend of Muscat, Vermentino, Marsanne & Sauvignon Blanc. Light yellowcolour with some green reflections. The nose has young citrus fruit notes, and fresh white flowers. Dry with lovely freshness to it, the lemon citrus notes open out with fresh mint sensations and beautiful acidity on the finish.

Production

From approximately 20 year old vines from vines planted at around 4,000 vines per ha on selected plots on clay and limestone soils in the area of Comté Tolosan around Toulouse in Gascony. This area benefits hugely from the influence of the Atlantic, giving freshness and acidity and making it perfect for white wine production.

The grapes are picked at night and undergo a six hours skin-contact extracting as much of as possible of the precious components. After a gentle pressing, the fermentation is carried out at cold temperature enhancing the subtle fruit flavors. Finally, a three months ageing on its fine lees.

Producer

Pierre et Papa is a compact range of high quality whites, reds and rosés made from grapes sourced throughout Southern France. With packaging influenced by old advertising ephemera, Pierre et Papa's nostalgic feel is very much in tune with the desire to seek out honest value.

Specifications

A well-crafted and pure Sancerre. Expressive and enjoyable.

Tasting Notes

A ripe and generous style of Sancerre with a real depth of fruit; the crunchy, herbaceous aromatic notes often found in Sauvignon Blanc have been skilfully restrained, allowing fruity layers of green apples and lemons as well as a sweeter note of dried apple rings and a hint of peach to show through.

Method of Production

Terroir plays such an important role at this estate. The Girards are fortunate enough to be able to blend grapes from each of Sancerre's three key soil types, Terres Blanches (limestone), Caillottes (chalky limestone) and Silex (flint). The grapes are hand-picked and gently pressed, fermented at 18°C by indigenous yeasts in stainless steel vats - all to preserve natural aromas, elegance and complexity. The final blend brings together the different elements of the three terroirs to create a balanced, complete wine.

Producer

Domaine Michel Girard comprises of 12 hectares of vineyards, made up of 30 parcels of vines with an average age of 15 years. Terroir plays an important role at this estate. Michel, Philippe and Benoît Girard's vines are planted on each of Sancerre's three different soil types: Terres Blanches (clay and limestone), Caillottes (chalky limestone) and Silex (flint). The brothers favour judicious blending of the separately-vinified cuvées to create wines with real complexity and balance.

Specifications

Sourced from a vineyard nestled into the Andes in the Curico region, this Sauvignon Blanc displays the vibrant fruit of Chile's Central Valley but with elegance from its mountain terroir.

Tasting Notes

A fresh and crisp wine with ripe citrus fruit. Packed with lime zest, lemon and kiwi fruit flavours. Think of cool glacial streams and enjoy the refreshing, racy acidity on the finish. 

Producer

Our long-standing working relationships with growers enable us to source premium fruit, with the ultimate aim of making excellent quality Chilean entry-level wines with true style and character.

For the Sauvignon Blanc, we work with two families in two different locations for a blend with huge appeal. The first is the Martin Family who are nestled into the Andes Mountains in a western corner of Curico. Their vineyards sit around 500 metres above sea level (masl), a far higher altitude than the majority of Curico’s main valley which lies around 250masl. The higher altitude and proximity to the mountains means evening temperatures drop significantly, allowing Sauvignon Blanc grapes to retain crucial acidity as they ripen. This altitude also ensures there is minimal intervention in the vineyards ie. no chemical sprays or irrigation - only pure glacial streams.

Their old established vines planted on steep slopes means grapes can only be harvested by hand. Once the grapes are picked then crushed, cool fermentation is used to preserve the freshness and fruit aromas. We blend this wine from Curico with Sauvignon Blanc from the German Family in Cachapoal. Here, in a warmer location, the variety gains great aromatic expression and typically we see great varietal character thanks to the correct clones being used along with early harvesting. Wines from this warmer spot usually have a little more body, making the blend with the Martin Family wines a great combination of aromatics, fresh acidity and weight. Possibly the biggest strength of this blend is our ability to balance out warmer and cooler vintages with these two different profiles. The wine is settled in tank for a short period before being bottled early to preserve the wines youthful vibrancy.

Specifications

With more texture than aromatics alone, this is a food-friendly Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Bright, crisp and aromatic, with generous aromas of cut grass, tomato leaf and asparagus. 

Palate

A tangy palate of citrus, bell-pepper, and bay leaves.

Producer

Boutinot's New Zealand wines are sourced from vineyards in each sub-regions of Marlborough - the Awatere, Waihopai and Wairau Valleys, as well as the breezier region of Waipara. These valleys have their own micro-climates and terroir which give a unique personality to the vineyards, grapes and finished wines.

Samantha Bailey brings her blending expertise and experienced palate to the fore in expressing the loveliest Boutinot wines from The Land of the Long White Cloud.

Alan's Personal Tasting Notes

"Bright and fresh with good acidity and great texture. It’s more kumquat & guava/passion fruit than light and mineral in style. It says it’s sourced from Nelson on the back label but with this opulent fruit profile, it reminds me more of Marlborough! Either way, it’s a cracking wine and not too harsh on the wallet!" May 2023

Sourced entirely from vineyards located in Marlborough’s stunning Awatere Valley, this vibrant wine displays aromas of ripe tropical fruit and passionfruit with lifted notes of currant and tomato leaf.

The concentrated palate is layered with flavours of sweet juicy pineapple, pink grapefruit, fresh green apple and hints of black olive. With herbal notes and a zesty minerality, this wine leads to a pure, lively and focused dry finish that has both freshness and length.

Viticulture

Grapes for this wine are sourced from blocks located in the upper, mid, and lower areas of the Awatere Valley. The Awatere Valley is cooler, drier and windier overall than other sub-regions of Marlborough, with a longer and cooler growing season. These climatic factors combined with vineyards located on young, fertile river terraces result in distinctive wines with a mineral drive and fruit-forward flavours. The 2018/2019 growing season in the Awatere began with unsettled weather resulting in lower yields overall, however a warm and dry summer with perfect growing conditions. grapes were able to be picked at optimal ripeness over harvest resulting in a wine with outstanding aromatics, palate weight and texture.

Vinification

Select blocks from the Awatere Valley are harvested using modern machine harvesters allowing ultimate extraction of flavour and aroma compounds from the skins of the grapes. Once at the winery the grapes are pressed into stainless steel tanks for cold settling, before being gently racked and inoculated with select yeasts chosen to naturally enhance the aromatic and flavour profiles of the wine.

Fermentation is carried out at cool temperatures allowing the wine to retain its bright aromas; with each batch fermentation typically lasting around 21 days. After fermentation is complete the wines are left to settle on their yeast lees for a short period before being racked again into stainless steel tanks for maturation. Meticulous classification of each batch results in a final blend that truly captures the exceptional characteristics of the vineyards. Once blended the resulting wine is stabilised and filtered without the need for fining, ready for bottling in mid-July 2019.

Producer

Tohu produces award-winning New Zealand wine crafted from grapes grown in our breathtakingly beautiful, Awatere Valley vineyard. When Tohu launched in 1998 we were the world's first Maori-owned wine company. Since then we’ve grown a reputation for producing premium wine in a range of varieties, winning awards for our Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir and Méthode Traditionnelle.

Alan's Tasting Notes

"I haven’t tasted this since it came in last year - and boy has it changed! Last year it was all fresh, clean, refreshing acidity and subdued fruit - but with some time in bottle all that citric acidity has died down and really lets the passion fruit and pineapple flavours we associate with Marlborough Sauvignon shine through - absolutely delicious.

I think this is now our best value New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Vegan & vegetarian too is a bonus!" March 2022

Specifications

Colour

Pale yellow in color with light green hints.

Nose

This Ventisquero Reserva Sauvignon Blanc wine has complex and elegant nose offers up aromas of lime, grapefruit, pineapple and pear complemented by floral and mineral touches. 

Palate

In mouth it is fresh, well-balanced with a rich acidity and soft body, where citric and tropical fruits reappear with mineral finish that delivers complexity and elegance.

Background

Ventisquero began making wine in 2000. Today, the winery is led by a young, creative team of entrepreneurs who guide us to a single purpose: creating distinctive, high quality wines. They look for innovative ways to communicate with their target audience and to market our products around the world.

Under the guidance of head winemaker Felipe Tosso, the winery was built in the Coastal Maipo Valley, where grapes for their first wines were produced. Three years later, they ventured into the Casablanca Valley and the prestigious Apalta Valley, the source today for Vina Ventisquero's premium wines.

With estate-owned vineyards in Chile's top wine producing areas – Coastal Maipo, Casablanca, Leyda and Colchagua – and extensive research to uncover the secrets of the country's unique terroir, Vina Ventisquero seeks to produce wines of the highest quality and consistency.

Awards

• 2017 Vintage: Commended – International Wine Challenge
• 2016 Vintage: Bronze – International Wine Challenge
• 2007 Vintage: Commended – International Wine Challenge
• 2008 Vintage: Silver – Mundus Vini
• 2006 Vintage: Commended – Decanter World Wine Awards
• 2005 Vintage: Gold – Concours Mondial de Bruxelles

Specifications

Tasting Notes

Nose

Crushed laurel on the nose with more than a nuance of residual seaside salt.

Palate

This has a big and textured palate with stone fruit and fennel hints – it is rich and minerally, showing even a slight rocky quality about it. As bracing as the wind through the vines at Waterkloof.

Production

A delightful, fresh, and crisp example of Sauvignon Blanc.

Tasting Notes

Bright lemon-green in colour. Intense and fruity, with lovely aromas of green apple and grapefruit. Very refreshing on the palate

Viticulture

Gascony is both wild and beautiful all at the same time... With its rolling countryside dotted with maritime pine and cypress trees, its luxurious vineyards and medieval hilltop towns, the area is one of the most preserved French treasures. Home to viticulture since Roman times, the IGP Côtes de Gascogne shares the same area of production as the Armagnac appellation. Gascony is also famous for its rich gastronomy and its “douceur de vivre” or easy-living atmosphere. The Colombard and Sauvignon Blanc grapes are predominantly produced in the Côte de Gascogne area of the South-West of France. The region has a fantastic reputation for fresh white wines. Capable of adapting to the hot climate, it provides nice acidity with lovely flavours. The resulting wines are crisp and fresh, with very intense aromas of lime, nectarine and grapefruit.

Production

The winemaking process is designed to preserve freshness and to enhance the aromatic potential of the wine. The berries are harvested at night, when temperatures are low, as soon as they have reached optimal maturity. The crop is then pneumatically pressed in order to extract only the premium juices. The fermentation process is carried out at a low temperature to preserve aromatic intensity. All these steps create a fragrant and refreshing white wine!

Alan's Personal Tasting Notes

'This is an interesting wee find from a very good wine co-operative in the s of France. Dry, fresh and crisp with a dollop of citric & tropical fruit giving great mouthfeel, complexity and balance without breaking the bank. I reckon this will become a successful crowd pleaser for our community - so get your order in quick as stocks are limited - so says the wine doctor.

 A delightful easy drinking little number - perfect with any seafood or chicken dish - or salads.'  November 2024

An impressive addition to the Wild House range, predominantly from Elgin grown fruit, a coastal region renowned for high quality, cool climate Sauvignon Blanc.

Tasting Notes

A vibrant cool climate style of Sauvignon with intense citrus and crushed nettle aromas. Ripe, concentrated fruit is offset by a grapefruit tang and leafy characters. Taut and mineral with a long, textural finish.

 

Discover a wine that embodies the essence of nature's touch, meticulously balanced and structured, yet exuding a purity and freshness that is simply captivating.

Tasting Notes

Colour

Dark straw in colour with orange hints. 

Nose

The nose is a delicate mélange of quince, poire william and a hint of vanilla. 

Palate

A complex and structured wine, with elegant but discreet fruit flavours of stone fruits, backed up with a powerful tannin structure and long finish.

Production

Refreshing like a white wine, with the complexity of red wine. This orange wine is made by leaving the grape skins and seeds in contact with the pressed juice, creating a deep orange-hued finish. The wine ferments naturally without the addition of yeasts, sulphur or any other additions. The different varieties are then blended and before a natural cold stabilisation, and bottled unfiltered and unfined.

Producer

Back in 1988, three families decided to invest in a winery in Romania, starting with 650 hectares of slightly unloved vineyards and a rusty, once state-owned winery.

Yet Englishman Philip Cox and his Romanian wife Elvira, have turned the Cramele Recas Estate into the most successful winery in Romania. Recas are now recognised globally for their impressive scale and breadth of fascinating wines, including natural and orange wine from organic grapes. Despite the scale the emphasis is on making good wines that over-deliver, and as a result they’ve struck on a magic formula that has seen sales and demand boom. Vineyards are a combination of evolved plantings from 1447 and more recent planting, whilst the winery has seen significant investment and boasts state of the art facilities where innovation thrives. Recas are in every way a modern, dynamic winery, whose open minded approach and quality sets them apart … a winery you really can’t ignore.

Specifications

From cool, windswept, coastal vineyards which yield naturally balanced grapes giving a wine with pure varietal charters and vibrant acidity.

Tasting Notes

Fresh and zesty with grassy and dry bay leaf aromatics, mineral notes, with hints of richness. This is a restrained Sauvignon Blanc with a palate that has lots of minerality and citrus with lightly herbal notes. The finish is ripe and gently honeyed with crisp green apple fruit and fresh acidity.

Production

False Bay Windswept Sauvignon Blanc stems from vineyards in Stellenbosch, some of which are a mere 3 miles from The Atlantic Ocean. These vineyards allow for low yields, slower ripening, natural acidity and a greater concentration of flavours. If one wants to make sauvignon blanc naturally, these are just the type of grapes required. Made by Waterkloof's talented young Cellarmaster Nadia Barnard. Balanced grapes are hand harvested, then a portion of the juice is fermented spontaneously with wild yeast and the rest is inocculated. The wine spends a minimum of 6 months on lees before bottling. No additions other than sulphur as a preservative. Grown, made and bottled in South Africa. Vegan friendly, sustainably farmed and naturally crafted

Producer

An independent company, owned by Waterkloof founder Paul Boutinot, False Bay Vineyards aims to make 'real' wine affordable. These are sustainable certified wines bottled in South Africa and naturally crafted from mature and often old vineyards that, crucially, are naturally in balance. This means that, unusually at the price, the grapes from these coastal gems can be transformed into wine with wild yeast and an absolute minimum of intervention.

False Bay Vineyards is proud to be a WWF (World Wildlife Fund) Biodiversity Champion and certified by WIETA (Wine and Agricultural Ethical Trade Association). All of their wines are Vegan friendly.

Alan's Personal Notes

"Fresh and dry with zest citric fruit and an interesting juxtaposition between maritime salinity (proximity of vineyards to the ocean) and mountainous minerality from the granitic souls - both giving great length, complexity and balance. A real snip @£9 a bottle - it delivers a great deal of flavour for little money giving incredible bang for bucks!"

Specifications

An elegant, well-balanced Sauvignon Blanc - Iona's Wine Making Philosophy - 'The Winemaker is the Custodian of the fruit'

Tasting Notes 

Beautiful purity of limes and ripe gooseberry, with tropical, floral and fine herbal notes, ruby grapefruit and white pear drop on the finish. This is cool climate Sauvignon Blanc – vibrant, mineral, elegant, balanced and delicate, with a long, layered and complex finish.

Producer

At 420m above sea-level, set high above the picturesque Elgin Valley Andrew Gunn founded Iona. It is here overlooking the Atlantic ocean that he has secured some of the coolest vineyards in the Cape.  In a country where cool climate vineyards are like gold dust, these vineyards are veritable nuggets. There is an extremely long growing season, allowing Andrew to create wines with complex flavours and a fresh, elegant style. The approach is hands off and the land is farmed according to organic and biodynamic practices with a particular focus on ensuring the health of the soils whilst pests are kept under control by the resident flock of geese that roam the vineyards.

Production

"We aim for elegance, balance and to express the unique terroir of the Elgin Highlands. Grapes were hand-picked into crates early in the morning to ensure that the grapes stayed cool. Each of the 9 blocks are harvested and vinified separately. After gentle pressing, the must was settled, maintaining a temperature of 6-8°C. Fermentation occurred at 14-16°C, using different commercial yeast strains particularly suited to Sauvignon Blanc. The wine was kept on the gross lees for 5 months and stirred regularly to enhance the richness of the mid-palate. The Sémillon component was fermented naturally in 2nd and 3rd fill 500L French oak barrels to enhance the mid palate weight and to add complexity to the wine. A selection of different Sauvignon Blanc vineyard sites were naturally fermented in 500L French oak barrels. The barrel fermentation component made up 4% of the final blend. 

Accolades & Awards

Tim Atkin South Africa Report 2024 91 Points
Iona's spectacularly sited parcels are some of the highest and most dramatic in Elgin, producing a quintessential cool climate Sauvignon Blanc. Perfumed, salty and stony, this has layers of lime and grapefruit, a touch of vanilla and a briney finish. 2024-27. 91 Points, TA, 2024.

Specifications

Tasting Notes 

This is a dry and fresh style of wine designed to drink young. It is pale straw yellow in colour with an aromatic nose of exotic fruits and floral notes. The palate is clean and mineral with an abundance of citrus fruit and green apple.

Producer

Jérémie Huchet himself is a fourth-generation winemaker known for his organic practices and deep respect for Muscadet traditions. He uses a mix of stainless steel vats and glass-lined concrete tanks to preserve the wine’s purity and minerality.

Specifications

The Mayfly, so symbolic of the first warmth of summer, drift down New Zealand's crystalline streams and rivers providing food for the voracious trout that have made this a mecca for fly-fisherman the world over.  This crisp Sauvignon is sure to have you hooked!

Tasting Notes : 

No tricks here, just a youthful and exquisite Sauvignon Blanc with prominent asparagus, mature peach and exotic fruit notes on the nose. Fresh and deliciously crisp with excellent natural acidity and a long citric and peach aftertaste as well as a rounded body and good structure.

Viticulture

All of the fruit comes from the single Kerseley estate vineyard from vines planted between 1991 and 2008. Grown on a VSP trellis system, the vineyards are in the Dillons point area around half a mile from the sea.

Winemaking

Fermentation in stainless tank at low temperature with natural yeasts to ensure the single site is expressed in the wine.

A wonderful and innovative blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Rolle (otherwise known as Vermentino) from southern France.

Tasting Notes

A deliciously refreshing change from straight Sauvignon Blanc. Luscious exotic fruit aromas from the Rolle are balanced by the clean, zingy fruit of Sauvignon, resulting in a wonderfully aromatic smooth dry white.

Production Method

For this wine two parcels of Sauvignon Blanc and Rolle (the traditional French name for Vermentino) were selected from the sun-drenched vineyards of southern France. Their position, on alluvial sand and silt, encourages the vines to root deep into the soil, finding the water they need to sustain them during the long, hot summers. Each plot is harvested in the cooler early mornings and the Sauvignon Blanc is always harvested a few weeks before the later ripening Rolle. Both varieties then undergo cold maceration in stainless steel tanks, followed by gentle pressing and alcoholic fermentation on fine lees (at a temperature of 16-18°C) to bring out the creamy texture of the Rolle, which perfectly balances the freshness of the Sauvignon Blanc.

Producer

Like all good stories, that of Boutinot France is both long and a little bit complicated! Boutinot began as a tiny importer in 1980, specialising in French wines. Paul Boutinot himself began by personally selecting the wines from France, back in the UK he would unload the trailer by hand, and deliver the crates of wines to customers himself. But good things grow and by the end of the decade we had become a bigger and better company. A company that not only sought out great wines but made them too. Ten years later, Boutinot France was founded in January 1990. The first office was in the middle of the vines in Julienas; perfectly located to navigate the Beaujolais and Mâcon regions on the quest to make beautiful wines. Samantha Bailey, who started as a wine enthusiast, was there at the beginning of this adventure. Since then, she has grown into our Master Blender and has key responsibilities: building long-standing relationships, tasting, understanding the terroir and appellations, and pushing the boundaries. She is at the heart of the whole process from blending to quality assessment, making sure there is always a Boutinot touch in every cuvée. We are proud to also count Guillaume Letang and Nicolas Rager in our winemaking team. Guillaume oversees the South of France and Languedoc, whilst Nicolas looks after our property in Cairanne. Together they have the local knowledge to select and blend the very best wines from throughout. Eric Monnin oversees every aspect of production and makes sure everything our winemakers blend and source is top quality. Today, Boutinot’s French office is located in Mâcon, and has over 20 employees who take care of production across the whole of France, covering fresh whites and rosés from Gascony, mineral wines from Burgundy, and joyful varietal wines from Languedoc among others. We don’t use any single model to source our wines; instead, a combination of sources are used, from large-scale, high-quality co-ops to small, family growers and single domaines, as well as our own vineyards in Cairanne. Drawing on the expertise of our winemakers and a network of partner growers, we seek to deliver the highest quality-to-price ratio possible for every wine.

Alan's Personal Tasting Note

"On first opening I wasn’t that impressed by this. Fresh, dry n crisp make it adequate, but I thought it lacked a bit of character and seemed a bit dilute. However, with a bit of food and oxidation it came to life and developed more weight, riper fruit and a lovely creamy complexity. This is what I was expecting from the later ripening Rolle ( Vermentino). This definitely gives it an edge, one of these wines that just needs a wee bit of time to show it’s best." August 2025

Specifications

Where tropical brightness meets herbal elegance, crafted to refresh and delight every sip!

Tasting Notes : 

Bright and aromatic bursting with tropical fruits with underlying herbal notes on the nose. On the palate the full refreshing punch of the herbal notes shines through.

Production

Machine Harvested, Juice cold settled or floated to clarify, cool fermentation in stainless steel tanks

Classically bright and vibrant Marlborough Sauvignon.

Tasting Notes 

Perfumed with nettle & ripe tropical fruits which are also evident on the palate along with limey flavours and a rich minerality - classic Marlborough Sauvignon. The wine is sappy fresh, clean and delicious.

Production

Judiciously sourced from 3 vineyard sites between the Waihopai, Wairau and Awatere Valleys. Fruit for this wine comes from vineyards throughout Marlborough’s Wairau Valley. From the coastal vineyard of Rarangi (coastal pea gravels, sand and silts, cooler coastal site) up through the central (old river bed gravels with think fertile top soil) and southern valley vineyards (clay loams over silts and gravels, warm sheltered site ) to the Rapaura area vineyards (stoney river bed soils).

The vines are grown on the VSP trellis system to give optimal cropping to gain maximum flavour during the growing season. Grapes are picked and immediately pressed to tanks for clarification. The fruit was gently pressed, cold settled, racked and cool fermented with selected yeast strains to enhance the unique aromatics & flavours. Each individual parcel was then racked, before being blended together to create this generous full-textured style. The wine was then filtered, and bottled to retain & capture the remarkable freshness of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

Producer

Boutinot's New Zealand wines are sourced from vineyards in each sub-regions of Marlborough - the Awatere, Waihopai and Wairau Valleys, as well as the breezier region of Waipara. These valleys have their own micro-climates and terroir which give a unique personality to the vineyards, grapes and finished wines.

Samantha Bailey brings her blending expertise and experienced palate to the fore in expressing the loveliest Boutinot wines from The Land of the Long White Cloud.

Awards

• 2016 Vintage - Bronze - Decanter World Wine Awards 2017

Alan's Personal Tasting Notes

"The flavours were very warm and ripe – taking any harsh edge off the acidity – and also giving a lovely, creamy mouthfeel. It is fairly weighty with good body rather different from the last vintage (2021) which was a lot leaner and more mineral/steely in style. As an everyday style, this hits all the right notes!" July 2023

This label celebrates Chile’s farthest-flung outpost, Motu Nui, the tiny islet (or motu) just off the coast of Easter Island.

Adrift in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and rich in Polynesian mythology, Motu Nui was the essential location for Easter Island’s legendary bird-man cult Tangata manu. Representatives from each island clan would wait for the visiting sooty terns to lay their first egg on Motu Nui, then swim across the shark-infested bay bearing that egg and climb the mainland cliffs of the Orongo volcano to claim rights of power and privilege for their clan for the following year. Many of the protagonists were devoured by sharks or fell to their deaths in this visceral trial of courage. These rituals have long since passed but their history is imprinted in the island’s history and archaeology. Today the sooty tern, depicted on our label, is protected and thrives peacefully on the island’s shore.

Tasting Notes 

The wine is sourced from grapes equally shaped by the Pacific Ocean that grow in the Aconcagua region’s coastal Leyda Valley, grapes that achieve a pungency and aromatic profile redolent of New Zealand’s Marlborough region on the other side of the Pacific Rim. Bright, aromatic and crisply textural. The Myth of Motu Nui is a delightfully aromatic Sauvignon Blanc as rich as the myths that inspire the name.

Production

The Sauvignon Blanc grapes are grown in three excellent sites across the Leyda and San Antonio D.O. The proximity of the vineyards to the Pacific Ocean (only 10km’s away) and its fresh coastal breezes ensures grapes ripen slowly. This allows the grapes to retain their natural citrus flavours and freshness but also to develop great aromatics. Sauvignon Blanc grapes in Leyda are some of the first to be harvested in Chile, and winemaking is simple to preserve this crunchy, bright fruit. Cool fermentation in stainless steel is followed by a couple of months on their fine lees which adds texture and depth. We bottle early to retain the primary characteristics, flavours and freshness of this enchanting fruit.

Producer

Our winemaking team has been building relationships across Chile over the past two decades, sourcing fruit and wine from across the Central Valleys. We work with a number of small family growers who pay particular attention to quality and ensure that our winemaking team has the best possible fruit to work with. Freshness and purity are the preferred hallmarks of Boutinot's Chilean wines.

Each vintage Boutinot winemaker Guillaume Letang travels the vineyards of our grower partners, blending that year's truest expression's of Chile's unique terroirs.

Specifications

Colour

A delicate, pale green/gold.

Nose

Passionfruit driven on the nose, this wine presents with soft acidity across the palate, showing tropical notes of lemongrass and grassy flavours. 

Palate 

A rich and complex wine with a lovely balanced finish, range of flavour and length.

Vintage

The La Niña weather pattern was the dominating influence of our 2023 growing season, which brought less hot North-westerly winds, normally a mainstay of our season, and replaced them with regular cooling Easterly winds. The start to spring was cool with temperatures below average. Despite that, as the season progressed, temperatures picked up and we experienced good flowering conditions, resulting in a healthy and balanced crop. Summer saw us experience 30+ degree days mixed in with considerably colder spells. Over Autumn we experienced more of the same, with temperatures fluctuating between spells of beautiful warm sunny days, followed regularly by cold southerlies.

These weather patterns, while presenting a challenge, meant the team started picking later allowing for sugar levels to rise. Minimal rain over this time meant the fruit could be held on the vine allowing it to reach our desired levels of ripeness.

Winemaking

The fruit was harvested at maximum flavour as assessed through frequent tasting in the vineyard by the winemaker. We picked across the vineyard at different times and degrees of ripeness to allow the individual cuvees a range of site expression. Extended skin contact time was used prior to crushing to enhance extraction of the aromatic compounds. The fruit was then very gently pressed to avoid harsh phenolic extraction and the juice allowed to cold settle. The clear juice was fermented at low temperatures using a range of yeast renowned for their ability to enhance the Sauvignon Blanc aromas. A balanced amount of residual sugar was left in the wine to complement the acidity and to add palate weight and structure.

Awards & Accolades

• 17/20 Jancis Robinson
• 5 Stars (94 points) | Sam Kim Wine Orbit

Specifications

Circle of Life celebrates farming in harmony with nature, telling a story of preserving and regenerating biodiversity. This harmonious combination of 3 classic grape varieties captures the essence of Waterkloof's biodynamic viticultural amphitheatre. 94 points, Decanter July 2023.

Tasting notes

A fine and seamless blend of 3 classic white grapes. Sauvignon Blanc aromas are prominent on the nose, with lime and prickly pear notes. A tight mineral core and creamy mid palate from the Chenin Blanc gives complexity and a persistent finish while a small proportion of Semillon adds texture and depth.

Tasting Notes 

Dominio de Punctum Pomelado Orange is a fantastic example of natural wine, providing an exciting and unique wine experience.

Tasting Notes

On the nose, it offers a bouquet of citrus fruits, floral notes, and a hint of herbaceous freshness. The wine’s skin contact fermentation gives it a beautiful amber hue and adds complexity to its flavor profile. On the palate, Pomelado Orange is vibrant and well-structured, with flavors of ripe orange peel, tropical fruits, and subtle spice notes. The wine’s slight tannins and natural acidity provide balance, leading to a crisp and refreshing finish.

Producer

Dominio de Punctum Pomelado Orange is a lively and aromatic orange wine made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Produced by the family-owned Dominio de Punctum winery in Spain, this wine is a prime example of the emerging trend of natural winemaking, offering a fresh and expressive take on the orange wine style.

Specifications