Last chance for the 2008 sauvignon blancs

BY DEBORAH WALTON AND PETER MORICE

There's no doubt that vintage 2009 is an impressive one – there's some fantastic sauvignon blanc hitting the shelves as we write and taste our way through many of the local labels.

However, there's also some excellent wine from the 2008 vintage still available, and one of the more interesting is Churton 2008 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, which was released at the end of August.

This wine undergoes more complex winemaking than the majority of sauvignon blancs on the market. A proportion of the wine is fermented in puncheons to allow for lees maturation, a process that results in the creation of an unmistakably creamy, savoury mineral core to the wine.

Warmer fermentations are then carried out to add to the overall complexity, while the majority of the fruit is kept in cool tank fermentation, which is commonly used to retain maximum fruitiness and aroma.

Churton has worked hard to create a point of difference in everything it does, from creating highly individual wines to managing the vineyards according to a philosophy encompassing a sense of place.

The vineyards are run using biodynamics, which in simple terms means the use of compost and biodynamic preparations as well as planning tasks in accordance with natural growth rhythms and cycles.

This leads us to Churton's ongoing use of corks. Owners Sam and Mandy Weaver have a strong view on this issue.

"Using cork seems obvious as we make our way through conversion to BioGro Certification. Why, when we strive to keep everything as natural as possible through the growing and winemaking process, would we seal our wine with something that was a composite or, worse, with something of dubious chemical origin?"

Interesting point.

Churton 08 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

Aroma: Quite yeasty, creamy with some soft citrus notes. Given a vigorous swirl, the aroma becomes lifted, with some grass and gooseberry notes combining with sweaty tropical fruit aromas.

Taste: Smooth, creamy – lovely texture here. The gentle acids and yeasty savouriness are all front of palate, these flavours soon giving way to some rich lemon/lime, which complements the creaminess.

The long finish and lingering aftertaste wrap things up nicely. There's just enough zing in this wine to support the yeasty, citrus and mineral flavours. Churton sauvignon blanc is stylistically quite different. It's interesting, rewarding and something new for sauvignon blanc fans.

Price: $27 – very classy and worth seeking out.

Villa Maria 09 Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc

Aroma: Lively, fresh and zingy; plenty of grass and gooseberries with an underlying floral whiff. There's also a dollop of sweatiness for good measure.

Taste: Brisk acids and a lemon citrus palate; very crisp with some gooseberry and melon flavour to flesh out the mid-palate. The finish is vibrant, clean and citrusy.

Price: Good value at around $19.

Sacred Hill 09 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

Aroma: Dry grass, citrus and some tropical sweetness blended with nettle, tomato leaf and capsicum notes – all well integrated and appealing.

Taste: Tingly acids and some lovely chewy, rich flavours combine in this lovely wine. The ripe tropical fruitiness is laced with passionfruit, while the aftertaste is citrusy and crisp with a dollop of lip-smacking sweetness in the aftertaste. Persistent flavour and plenty of length.

Price: A beauty and just $20.90.

Saint Clair Family Estate 08 Wairau Reserve Sauvignon Blanc

Aroma: An appealing blend of rich tropical fruit notes, particularly passionfruit, blended with some of those classic sauvignon blanc aromas – nettle, gooseberry, flint and sweat.

Taste: Tingly acids and tropical sweetness combine with some brisker herbal/herbaceous flavours. A wine with good palate weight and some concentrated fruit power. The lime and mineral twist to the finish and aftertaste is drying and very pleasant.

Price: Saint Clair Family Estate's flagship sauvignon blanc, always reliable, $32.95.

Wyndham Estate 05 Bin 555 Shiraz, SE Australia

Colour: Deep garnet red.

Aroma: Plums, meaty savoury notes, smoke and eucalyptus leaves – slightly dusty and very promising.

Taste: Thick, grainy and ripe, this wine's your typical Aussie blockbuster. There's heaps of plum and berryfruit flavour with some meatiness mid-palate. Mint, plums and a chocolate/coffee finish wrap up things with gusto. A lick of vanilla in the aftertaste provides some interest.

This is a wine to serve with steak.

Price: $16.95 – typically good value from this label.

Cloudy Bay 07 Chardonnay

Colour: Straw.

Aroma: No trouble teasing out the nuances in this beauty; apple shortcake, cream, peaches and nutty, savoury oak all combine in a rich, rewarding aroma that is irresistible.

Taste: An exceptional wine that combines silky texture with a weighty palate; this chardonnay is warming (14 per cent) and rich due to the well-integrated caramel, apple, ginger and subtle oak flavours. It softens to a creamy finish with some characteristic Marlborough lemon flavour, while the aftertaste is more like apple brandy.

Anyone who says pinot gris is giving chardonnay a run for its money needs to try more wines like this one.

Price: Around $39 and fantastic value.

- The Marlborough Express