My Personal Recommendation For You

Fairbourne Sauvignon Blanc 2012     Marlborough; New Zealand     (regularly $59.99)     Now $52.99     $47.99 by the case

”The Cloudy Bay Te Koko, Dog Point Section 94, and the Terravin Te Ahu were excellent, but for sheer elegant Graves Blanc minerality and texture, the Fairbourne left me quivering. ” – Peter Rumble, New Zealand Wine Advisor

“Grown on elevated, north-facing slopes in the Wairau Valley, this is a classy wine, tightly structured, with a very fresh, refined bouquet. Weighty, crisp and dry, it has searching, ripe flavours of citrus fruits and limes, showing excellent delicacy and intensity, a minerally streak, and a long, tight finish. 5 Stars. ” – Michael Cooper's Buyer's Guide to New Zealand Wine .

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is the cornerstone variety of the New Zealand wine industry. In fact, in relation to any other SB wine producing region, it has taken only a relatively short period of time to become the style that other new world producers (and an increasing number from the old world) aspire to produce, associate with, and benchmark.

On the contrary, those same folks believe Marlborough's best is yet to come . . well, it has arrived!

Fairbourne’s Estate mission is simple: “The company’s sole focus is to make small quantities of world class wine from Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.” This is the flagship Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, made from grapes grown on elevated sites on the north-facing slopes of the Wairau Valley.

(Husband and wife) owners Sarah Inkersell and Russell Hooper (pictured) approach to this task is nothing short of meticulous. Both have extensive backgrounds in the Marlborough wine district , “Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is what we know and where our passion lies. We know there is more to Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc than the widely recognized style.”

Winemaker, Sarah, is a skilled Sauvignon Blanc “Specialist” , always striving to produce an original, top-flight style. From the low-yielding vines – three Wairau Valley vineyards (Bridwill, Baysview and Skyedale) – of soils with alluvial and clay gravels, she is able to create very distinctive flavors of ripe citrus and stone fruit nuances with a “wet stone” mineral character.

Winemaker’s notes:

The grapes were fermented as site batches with a neutral yeast to capture their individual fruit and site expressions. The wine was fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks over a four week period. A judicious blend of the finished wines, including a tiny percent matured in aged French oak .

“Aromas of fresh crushed lemon and lime with alluvial river stone and melon. For the palate, there’s a smooth citrus entry, an ascending concentration of pure white stone fruits. Finishes dry with a persistent fruit and mineral flavors. This production is the best expression of Sauvignon Blanc made with elegance and generosity. Made in balance and with intensity and the wine drinks well early, but will reward the patient after a few years in a good cellar.” –Sarah Inkersell, Winemaker

Sarah’s suggested cuisine to pair with:

“Fresh shucked Oysters are a natural accompaniment for New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and my wine is no exception. Salmon pairs well, as does a fresh salad of asparagus and chilled melon with a citrus drizzle. A recent favorite is prawn steamed with rose water and lemon grass with a green side salad seasoned with Japanese seaweed.”