Score: 90/100
Tasting Notes
This Kiwi and unusual Sauvignon Gris comes in a lemon-yellow color of medium intensity, yet it is bright and shiny a hints of gold hues, perhaps touches of green hues too but I’m not sure.
The nose however is everything but shy in a typical Marlborough fashion. It is not dissimilar to the local expression of its cousin grape Sauvignon Blanc: filled with exuberant passion fruit, a little grassy and a wealth of tropical characters, pineapple and litchi.
It does smell though, a little riper and subtle than your average SB, and there’s juicy stonefruit characters of apricot and yellow peach that I don’t recall finding much in NZ Sauv Blanc.
The palate feels luscious, very concentrated flavors of everything described above for the nose, bursts of grassy tropical flavors complement a nice crispy acidity. But it’s well balanced by a generous body for the style, and a discrete touch of well-integrated sweetness.
Reminding of a Marlborough, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc yes it does, but this particular Sauv Gris feels more concentrated, and more on the terpene (the aromas found in Muscat, or Pinot Gris), floral and generously fruity aromas and flavors than its cousin.
It’s also more mellowed on the palate however. If you like the exuberance, passion fruity exuberance of Marlborough SB, but you’re bothered (or bored) by the sharpness of some examples, try this Gris and you might end up liking it. I have to admit I did enjoy it much as it seems to bring an evolution to the typical NZ Sauv Blanc style.
Enjoy 🙂
Please let me know your thoughts