Sauvignon savvy

CHEERS: Barton on Wine

In a couple of months' time suppers of sauvignon blanc will largely have forgotten about the 2009 vintage and will be getting all excited about the wines from 2010 which will, within another couple of months, start appearing on the market.

There is, I hear them saying, nothing quite like a crisp, young savvy from Marlborough. And their mates across the Tasman, where Kiwi savvy has become the biggest selling white wine, appear to agree.

Well, I am not so sure. I believe that this is the time to be buying the best of these wines from 2009 and starting to drink them. Better still, leave some of them for even longer if you can.

Why? Because anyone who has followed the switch from corks to screwcaps with more than a passing interest will tell you that wines take longer to evolve under screwcap, which also means the fresh crisp flavours are better preserved. And, in the case of those richer, softer styles the texture is enhanced.

The style is, as it is with other varieties, not only a reflection of the vintage (the weather and the ripeness of the fruit) but also of the terroir (where the grapes are grown) and the way the wine is made – all in a stainless steel tank to accent the freshness and the fruit, or has it been blended with some from a barrel to add complexity?

Whichever, it will almost certainly display, to varying degrees, the herbaceous characters that set Marlborough sauvignon blanc apart but can, if left unchecked, become quite offensive. Which means sauvignon blanc is a wine that can and does polarise opinion.

However, I will stick my neck out and suggest that the wines that follow represent some of the best from 2009, a vintage that was quite clearly better and better managed, than the huge harvest of 2008 in Marlborough, but could hardly be ranked as one of the greatest.

Greywacke 2009 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, $26:  A sauvignon blanc made for himself by Kevin Judd, the man who gave us Cloudy Bay. Fruit, herbaceous characters, wild yeast and a slivver of oak blend seamlessly into one. A great debut.

Montana 2009 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, $18: After 30 years this is still the label identified most closely with Marlborough savvies. One of at least six that carry the label, it's trademark stuff: pungent. full-flavoured, crisp and crunchy. Oysters love it.

Esk Valley 2009 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, $20: The first sauvignon blanc to be produced under the Esk's new look label. No mistaking its origins but it reflects a new approach to the job. Full-bodied, rich, pungent, but also clean and fresh.

Clos Marguerite 2009 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, $27: Another serious Awatere Valley sauvignon This one with pungent, trademark tomato leaf character, green capsicums and gooseberries. Great length and persistence.

Mud House 2009 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, $20: Already has a Wine of Show award to its credit and the approval of sauvignon fans who like them fuller, passionfruit-driven and with twist of citrus. Juicy, mouthwatering acidity. Top stuff.

Vavasour Awatere Valley 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, $21: A classy herbaceous, tropical-fruited wine that from year to year maintains its reputation for quality, vibrancy and its mouthwatering acidity. But it's the long and lingering finish that rings the bell.

Eradus 2009 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, $18.99: An excellent example of the classy wines from this family owned producer, and of wines from the Awatere Valley that smack of tomato stalk and mineral. Rich and concentrated. Good buy.

Saint Clair 2009 Pioneer Block 18 Snap Block Sauvignon Block, $24.95: One of at least 11 sauvignon blancs made under the Pioneer Block label.The interesting feature of this model is the unusually obvious black currant tangled with the tropicals.

Villa Maria 2009 Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc, $19: Offers a clue to the quality of the 10 other more expensive Marlborough sauvignon blancs produced by Villa. Pleasantly herbaceous and loaded, as usual, with vibrant, fresh, juicy fruit.

Prices could vary.

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