Spy Valley makes this in Marlborough, at the top of New Zealand's South Island, where Sauvignon Blanc found a second home in the 1970s and never really left. The 2022 vintage is dry, light-bodied and high in acidity, the kind of white that tastes like it was picked in the cool of the morning.
- Sauvignon Blanc, 100% of the blend.
- Marlborough, New Zealand.
- 2022 vintage, 12.5% ABV.
- Dry, light body, high acidity.
How it is made
Marlborough sits at the north-east tip of the South Island, where wide river valleys carry cool nights and long, bright days. The region's Sauvignon Blanc is picked early to keep its acidity sharp, then fermented cool in stainless steel to hold on to the aromatics rather than round them off.
How it tastes
Grapefruit and lime up front, then passionfruit, a green streak of cut grass, and a mineral note the tasting notes call wet stone. The acidity is high and the body is light, so it stays juicy rather than heavy, with a generous finish that lingers past the last sip.
Good to know
Marlborough's rise is recent. The first commercial Sauvignon Blanc vines were planted there in the 1970s, and within two decades the region had gone from sheep country to one of the most recognised white wine addresses in the world. Spy Valley takes its name from the Waihopai Valley, where a satellite communications station sits within sight of the vineyards.
