Written by Robert Giorgione; a guest writer for Winekeller, a passionate New Zealand wine specialist, brand ambassador and award-winning sommelier, and owner of Roving Sommelier Wines & Deli

Robert continues his exploration of New Zealand’s premier wine region, Marlborough and its world-famous Sauvignon blanc wine.

An introduction to Sauvignon blanc, Marlborough New Zealand

When it comes to Sauvignon Blanc, It is now considered that, on a par with the Loire Valley in France, New Zealand sets the benchmark for this grape variety. However, generally, the Kiwi version is less subtle and more pungently aromatic and explosively flavoured in style.

Regional nuances can range from tropical flavours in the warmer climates of Auckland, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay to fresh and clean gooseberry and asparagus of the Wairarapa. Within the South Island, and Marlborough itself, where most of this grape is grown, you now have a diverse range of flavours, including those ‘classic’ characteristics of zesty and vibrant fruit intensity of the iconic Greywacke soils of the Wairau River Valley to the more nettle and capsicum of the Southern and Awatere Valleys. Nelson and Central Otago also produce excellent fruit-driven and minerally savvies that are worth discovering.

We, of course, are focussing here on the Sauvignon Blancs produced in Marlborough. In a relatively short space of time, Sauvignon Blanc has become New Zealand’s internationally recognised flagship varietal. In fact, Sauvignon Blanc makes up more than three-quarters of the country’s grape production, with the majority of that planted in Marlborough. The first vineyard to be planted with Sauvignon was in 1973 when Montana Wines took cuttings of this new grape from vines grown in the Auckland region. A few years ago, Montana Wines changed its name to Brancott Estate, which is also the location of the annual Marlborough Wine Festival held each February.

Enthusiasm for Sauvignon Blanc continues and, although Marlborough’s growers have successfully introduced other varietals, Sauvignon is still the region’s most popular wine style and where it is most celebrated.

What’s more, it’s has now become widely recognised that Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc can be split into two distinct categories - ‘Classic’ and ‘Reserve and/or Oak-aged’ Sauvignon Blancs. In addition, this is also because I would like to clearly distinguish the breadth of choice between the two styles. Of course, it’s all a question of taste and you will decide whichever you prefer. However, you will have to agree that currently within Marlborough’s winemaking community boundaries are being pushed like never before. For instance, take a good look at what the likes of Ivan Sutherland, James Healy, Kevin Judd, Tamra Washington-Kelly, Natalie Christensen, Clive Dougall, Brian Bicknell, and Simon Waghorn, among others are doing. From squeaky clean and super fresh ‘classic’ Marlborough savvies that have become many wine lovers’ go-to preferred white wine style, newer innovations within the Sauvignon category are fast winning new consumers and appeal to a more sophisticated palate.

Greywacke Sauvignon blanc

World renowned winemaker and photographer, Kevin Judd is a very clever man. Not only did he call his wine label Greywacke, but he also trademarked it. But what does ‘Greywacke’ mean? It refers to the ancient riverbed pebbles and stones and gravelly soils of the main Wairau River Valley in Marlborough. In fact, Greywacke is a very similar terroir to the famous ‘caillottes’ and ‘silex’ soils of the Loire Valley in France, in places such as Sancerre and Pouilly, which are also highly regarded for world class Sauvignon Blanc wines with a gun-smoke flavour profile and cutting edge minerality.

Most Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs are produced from vineyards on three different soil types – Greywacke (limestone riverbed pebbles and stones), Broadridge (mainly iron-rich clay, which provides the palate weight and structure) and Wither (limestone and clay, which provides the fruitiness and complexity) have a wonderful grapefruit character with expressive minerality and elegance. They develop well with bottle age, too. The latter two types of ‘terroirs’ are mainly located in the hillside vineyards within the important sub-regional valleys (Brancott, Omaka and Waihopai), where they are increasingly becoming more important for growing top notch Pinot Noirs that are fruit-driven and elegant. For me, understanding these unique differences in local soil types and microclimates are very important and clearly explains why wines produced from the same grape can taste so different.

Marlborough has low rainfall and consistently high sunshine hours, including large ‘diurnal’ temperature shifts during the ripening period which helps lock in and build flavours. There are more herbaceous and mineral styles from the cooler Awatere Valley and the riper, tropical, more pungent style from the main Wairau Valley, including Rapaura, and especially around the Dillons Point sub-region that displays more saline flavours due to its proximity to the coast.

Appellation Marlborough Wine - safeguarding New Zealand and Marlborough Sauvignon blanc

What’s more, like any successful artisan winegrower, most New Zealand winemakers now wish to protect their products of which they are extremely proud. As we all can appreciate with all products, whether it is a piece of cheese, a work of art, or indeed, a bottle of wine, provenance is key. Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW) was established, and trademark registered in 2018, to safeguard Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc wine and to provide assurance to consumers who seek wines of provenance, authenticity, and integrity.

“There’s no place in the world like Marlborough, and no wine in the world that tastes like ours, especially our Sauvignon Blanc. We believe that is worth protecting.”

Appellation Marlborough Wine™ was created in 2018 with a strict certification process that the region’s producers can apply for. There are now 49 members and over 90 certified wines from some of the region’s most iconic wine companies. The appellation is now trademarked in all the key global wine markets, and it is this legal recognition that sets it apart from other new world certification practises.

For the wine lover, by choosing a wine carrying the AMW brand mark, you can be confident it is a wine of authenticity, integrity, and provenance. Every part of the production process, from grape to glass, under New Zealand regulations. No exceptions.

Champagne, Burgundy, Beaujolais, the French developed classification systems for their wines many decades ago and now the Kiwis have clamped down, creating their own appellation for Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. An appellation denotes a specific set of criteria a wine must adhere to, to be able to carry the mark. The crucial factors are quality and authenticity. A renowned wine region’s reputation for quality is critically important to protect for its producers.

To bear the AMW brand, members must ensure the wine is made from grapes grown entirely in Marlborough and cropped at or below set parameters, established according to soil type and vine density variability. If a proposed wine contains any portion exceeding that level, it must be approved by an independent panel of qualified, experienced local producers.

The wines must come from grapes harvested from vineyards certified by Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand, and must be bottled in New Zealand, under New Zealand regulations. 

Chair of Appellation Marlborough Wine Ivan Sutherland, owner of Dog Point Vineyards, said there were now over 90 Sauvignon Blanc labels wearing the quality mark, giving consumers confidence in the provenance of their wine.

“Appellation Marlborough Wine is about protecting the reputation this region has worked hard to build. It provides the wine buying public of the world with an assurance they can see and trust.”

“We’ve now trademarked the brand in all of the key global wine markets which has been a huge undertaking. This is the first step in protecting New Zealand wine that has now become a global icon.”

Sustainability - New Zealand wines

Sustainability is also one of the key pillars to the success of New Zealand’s wine industry.

Right from the start, industry leaders recognised the extraordinary value of the country’s natural resources and the need to protect and enhance them. In the mid-1990s, after considerable research, Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand was launched.

Of course, sustainable winegrowing is extremely important. For, as with all types of agriculture, farming and fishing, the growing of grapes is also affected by market forces, including supply and demand. For instance, take the 2008 vintage, which was one of New Zealand’s biggest harvests in history. There was so much Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc produced that our supermarket shelves were completely awash with them. In fact, owing to such a huge vintage, most supermarkets had so much wine that they were almost giving it away. Many bog-standard savvies were offered up on various deals, such as buy three bottles for a tenner! Unfortunately, such ‘BOGOF’ deals, as they became known, are great for the consumer, but eventually set a dangerous precedent in an already competitive market. For me, it evoked memories of the European ‘butter mountains’ in the 1980s, whereby oversupply can completely wreak havoc in the marketplace. For instance, look at what has happened with Prosecco and the cheap and cheerful quaffs that are now available in the UK? Now, as a result, no-one is going to spend more than a fiver on a bottle. Fortunately for New Zealand, (which achieves the highest average price tag per bottle of wine), with the smaller, yet better quality 2009 vintage that followed, the New Zealand wine industry got back to relative normality and could still consistently command higher prices and better quality. 

It was a similar situation (but in reverse) in 2021, which was a very small vintage harvest in Marlborough. Therefore, there was less wine available to quench consumers’ thirst for Marlborough savvy. Naturally, prices went up. Luckily, with the 2022s, (which is the current vintage on the shelf in the UK), again the situation has been restored to a somewhat natural balance.

New, emerging style of Marlborough Sauvignon blanc

As mentioned earlier, Sauvignon Blanc wines that have either been fermented and/or aged in oak barrels is currently an exciting emerging style in Marlborough. Pioneered by the now-iconic Cloudy Bay vineyard back in the mid-to-late 1980s with their “Te Koko”, this multi-layered and richly textured style is rapidly developing and winning over new consumers, who have positively embraced this different expression of their flagship grape. Most Marlborough producers have now turned this to their advantage by using various winemaking techniques and can extend their range to showcase the uniqueness of a local terroir or single vineyard site. These are exciting times in Marlborough.

There is an increasing diversity of styles achieved through using wild ferments, degrees of lees contact, (lees-stirring in tank or in oak barrels known as ‘sur-lie’ in France), as well as fermentation and/or ageing in oak, both old and new. For me, speaking as a sommelier, these highly aromatic and textural white wines are very food friendly, and can pair well with all types of cuisines and flavours. Balance is key, however, and I tend to prefer wines that are not dominated by oak, (which tends to put people off, especially with new world Chardonnay), where the wines are naturally expressive, yet more complex and nuanced in flavour, with a good lick of acidity to keep them fresh and balanced.

Personal Marlborough Sauvignon blanc favourites

My favourites include Dog Point Vineyard “Section 94” Sauvignon; Greywacke “Wild” Sauvignon; Mahi “Boundary Farm” Sauvignon; Seresin Estate “Marama” Sauvignon; Astrolabe “Taihoa” Sauvignon; Yealands Estate “State of Flux” Sauvignon; Deep Down Wines “Wild Ferment” Sauvignon; Clos Henri Vineyard Sauvignon, and the impressive single vineyard Sauvignons produced by Giesen that have been aged in old German Füder barrels.

Yealands Estate - “State of Flux” wines

I was most impressed by the “State of Flux” range of wines produced at Yealands Estate when I attended the annual New Zealand wine tasting in London in January 2020. Now former winemaker, Tamra Washington-Kelly has moved on to her own wine projects, including consulting at Seresin Estate, this new special range of terroir-focussed wines shows to me that Yealands Estate has raised its game. And rightly so. With the exciting “State of Flux” wines it seems to me that their current winemaker, Natalie Christensen’s aim is to display more expression with this noble grape and vineyard site, and she has been given all the resources and bells and whistles to create a very classy niche product. Although you can find Yealands Estate ‘entry level’ wines in some supermarkets, the State of Flux range are mainly targeted towards independent fine wine merchants and restaurants.

Complex, textural, yet beautifully fresh, State of Flux wines by Yealands Estate are sourced from carefully selected blocks within vineyards located in the Awatere Valley, the southernmost, coolest, and driest of Marlborough’s growing regions. The proximity to the coastline and strong offshore winds imparts a distinctive mineral and fresh herb character. The State of Flux Sauvignon Blanc is incredibly impressive. For me, it is extremely complex with gun-smoke, mineral nuances, and a pure pastiche on a Didier Dagueneau classic Pouilly-Fumé.

This incredibly expressive and aromatic Sauvignon Blanc has been fermented and aged in very limited quantities using a 1700 litre concrete egg. The heat generated through fermentation combined with the shape of the vessel creates convection currents causing the lees (it spends 11 months on them) to be in a constant ‘state of flux’. The result is a truly wonderful wine, delicious now, yet still with the capacity for ageing in the cellar for up to eight years.

And with New Zealand’s deep commitment to sustainability, the country’s talented winemakers - vignerons - are starting to reap the rewards. To conclude, there is much more to learn and discover and enjoy with Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. And the next big thing for New Zealand white wine? For me, it’s Albariño.

The epicurean odyssey continues…. 

More about Robert Giorgione:

Award-winning sommelier Robert Giorgione has been in the hospitality and retail industry for more than 35 years, including 17 years of experience in London where he worked as wine buyer and head sommelier in some of the best fine-dining restaurants and retail establishments, and also won many prestigious awards for his wine lists and sommelier skills. Most recently, Robert also picked up valuable experience in retail and customer service at the iconic Wally’s in Cardiff and previously worked as sommelier at the famous Park House Restaurant, Wine Bar and Private Rooms also in Cardiff, where he massively contributed to the establishment’s successful reputation for fine-dining and sommelier service and its award-winning wine list.

Now relocated to beautiful South Wales, Robert owns and runs Roving Sommelier Wines & Deli – an independent wine merchant and deli in Newport Market and Food Court, which stocks some of the finest affordable premium wines from around the world and epicurean treats, and Robert works enthusiastically to guide wine lovers and consumers towards something that’s right both for palate and pocket.

See here for further details.

In addition to this Robert has many years of experience as a wine consultant for a variety of private and corporate clients, (New Zealand Wine Growers, Wine Chap, Naked Wines, and Les Caves de Pyrene, amongst many others), and has been a wine judge for many prestigious international wine awards and competitions (his areas of experience include New Zealand, Regional Italy, Spain, and South-West France). In fact, the South-West of France, and in particular the region of Roussillon has a special place in Robert’s heart, as he has a real fondness for the local Vin Doux Naturel wines that pair extremely well with desserts and chocolate. In October 2012, while working with William Curley, Robert won the UK Final of the Roussillon Dessert Competition alongside pastry chef Sarah Frankland. The sommelier and chef pâtissier team went on to represent the UK in the European Final held in Perpignan in April 2013 and won the overall title of European Champions, beating the crème de la crème of Belgium, Holland, Germany, and Denmark. An achievement and experience that Robert is genuinely proud of.

Robert’s talents and experience also extends to writing, blogging, and between 2010 and 2013 he produced 275 roving sommelier video blogs on his Roving Sommelier TV You Tube channel.