Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc flood tide begins to ebb

The tide of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc continues to drift out and as the producers who came in to take advantage of the easy money have begun to move on.

Meanwhile, the producers who were there early, and will be there for decades to come, continue to work on finding the best way to express the fruit they grow from across the region.

Unfortunately, the good and bad are tarnished with the same brush when we talk about “Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc” as a generic term.

Marlborough is not a homogenous region though (as no region is), it is made up of several sub-regions that produce slightly different expressions of Sauvignon Blanc.

It may not have been a consideration for you in the past as the biggest brands tend to be farming for volume across hundreds of hectares and have little time for finding the nuances between sites.

They can end up being very lean and herbaceous without sufficient fruit or they can look like big glasses of sweet tropical fruit without enough freshness to balance the wine. If you have had mixed feelings about the wines you have had from Marlborough then, putting aside the absolute rubbish wines, you may have just picked up a bottle that had more fruit from a sub region that displays characters you don’t find appealing.

It is worthwhile briefly covering the three sub-regions, their styles and a producer that is making the best use of different areas to create a balanced, complete wine.

The Wairau Valley sits in the northern most area of Marlborough. It is made up of quite rocky/gravelly soils derived from an old river bed. The result is soils that drain quickly and easily. The result being wines that are quite light on their feet and aromatic.

Moving south, we find the Southern Valleys, which is a little cooler again in the higher altitude site, while the lower lying areas are protected by the hills from cool breezes and see slightly higher temperatures. The soils here are heavier with more clay as well as gravel. The wines have a little more weight and richness than Wairau.

Finally, we get to the Awatare Valley, where the altitude tends to be a little higher and thus there is less protection from the winds and cool winds. This is where you are most likely to find the grassy/leafy styles of Sauvignon Blanc. From here, the decision made by growers and winemakers can, and does, impact the final wine. But the threads will should still be clearly seen across each sub-region.

Te Wahre Ra Sauvignon Blanc 2017 – $29
Te Whare Ra own some of the oldest Sauvignon Blanc vines in the region. Originally planted in 1979 and owned by the Flowerdays since 2003. They have taken a hands-on approach to their vineyards, moving towards organic and biodynamic practices in their vineyards as well as hand picking and even sorting their fruit. A world away from how most of the fruit is treated in the region. Their home block is in the Wairau sub-region and given its warmth, they get quite ripe fruit that shows varietal tropical fruits and richer texture along with a gravelly/ mineral edge. They also incorporate a parcel of fruit from the Awatere Valley that brings some structure and more floral/ herbaceous notes to the wine, though they are subtle and very well integrated. Some time on fine lees lends depth to the mouthfeel. So well put together and if Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is your thing, this is worth seeking out from one of the most committed growers in the region.