Blind River Sauvignon Blanc 2008

Natalie's Review

Blind River Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand: Stunningly delicious Sauvignon Blanc with vibrant notes of fresh grass, lime, chives and green apple. Not too herbal. Refreshing and mercifully free of oak. A zesty aperitif or a companion to a wide range of dishes. Superb effort! From the Winemaker: A crisp, cold spring followed by a long, hot summer resulted in an abundance of concentrated fruit with ripe flavours. After careful destemming and pressing, 10% of the juice was transferred to aged French Oak barriques for a wild fermentation with indigenous yeast. The remaining juice was fermented in stainless steel at cool temperatures with a selected yeast strain to maintain freshness and fruit character. The wine was held on lees after fermentation for 3 months before blending and bottling. This wine has an intense bouquet of passionfruit and guava with undertones of citrus and melon. A strong mineral character shows through which is very typical of fruit from this vineyard. The palate is rich, with excellent weight – the wild ferment portion adding complexity and viscosity. The cool ferment delivers flavours of citrus and tropical fruit, with a mineral backbone, maintaining the elegance that has come to be expected from Blind River. Named in the '60 Best New Zealand Wines 2009'.  141499  13%  D  750 mL  $19.95  Score: 91/100. November 7, 2009  Full Review