New Zealand is the perfect destination for exploring, discovering and tasting some incredible wines !

New Zealand is a country located in the western Pacific Ocean. This island is the home of many renowned wineries thanks to different factors. Indeed, the combination of moderate climate, nutrient-rich soils, and innovative viticultural practices makes New Zealand one of the leading wine producing countries in the world. Both the South and the North islands are famous for wine making, particularly  Marlborough and Central Otago in the south and Hawkes Bay in the north.To preserve its unique elements, NZ has been strongly committed to reduce the environmental impact of its vineyard management and winery practices. Hence, sustainable winegrowing has become a kiwi standard!

The local conditions are very suitable for growing Sauvignon Blanc grape variety, providing an aromatic fresh and vibrant dry wine! That’s why, since the early 1990s, Sauvignon Blanc has been firmly established as New Zealand’ flagship grape.

Today, we are going to focus on 3 fine oaked white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc grape.

I.Auntsfield, South oaks Barrel Fermented, Southern Valleys, Marlborough 2016

This 2016 Auntsfield, Southern Valleys, Marlborough is really interesting to taste! 

This wine has a special bright straw colour. On the palate, the structure of the wine is rich and creamy, which provides a pleasant and well-balanced mouthfeel, with intense and soft fruits. As for the aromas, ripe tropical fruits  such as mango, passion fruit, are lifted by notes of citrus, dry herbs and lime leaf. The fruits are supplemented by complex aromas of honeycomb, vanilla beans and roasted hazelnut.

In addition, after fermentation, the wine is matured on its lees 10 months, then aged in french oak barrels, which add flavors of toast to the wine.

Serve it chilled (7-10°C)

You can find it on Vivino for €10,95 per bottle

Alc: 13,5%

When to drink? 2019-2023

Food pairing: Shellfish

II.Mt Difficulty Bannockburn, central Otago 2018

This 2018 Mt Difficulty Bannockburn, Central Otago is admirably pure and precise, with the delightful interplay on the palate between its fruit freshness and the finely poised oaky derived character.

During the tasting, you can recognize lime, quince and mineral notes. The high acidity makes this dry white wine crisp and refreshing. A nice touch of pithy lemon zest lingers on the finish.

You can find this bottle on Wine Searcher for €17 per bottle

Alc: 13,5%

When to drink? 2019-2021

Food pairing: Young Goats’ cheese and Feta

III.Te Mata Estate, Cape Crest, Hawkes Bay 2018

Cape Crest Sauvignon Blanc ’18, a blend of 90% sauvignon blanc, 6% semillon and 4% sauvignon gris, reveals the unique expression of New Zealand.

Pale lemon with flecks of lime-green, it overflows with tropical fruit and rich, succulent acidity. Aromatic notes of fresh lime, gooseberry, lychee and pineapple, give way on the palate to juicy pear, ripe grapefruit, citrus blossom and subtle char and fennel notes.

This is the result of a wonderful wine making process: starting from destemming and lightly crushing the grapes from Hawke’s Bay vineyards, the grape juice is then cooled for a short period of skin contact. The skin contact reduces the risk of oxidation, and increases flavor intensity and texture. After pressing, the grape juice is fermented in a mixture of new and seasoned French oak barrels. The resulting wine undergoes lees maturation with regular stirring, for 8 months before blending. The blend is then returned to stainless steel tanks for a final maturation on fine lees, before fining and bottling. 

You can find this bottle on Vivino for €21.60 per bottle 

Alc: 13.5%

When to drink? 2019-2021

Food pairing: Linguine with Clams

Amsterdam, June 28 2019