The Drylands and Omaka Springs shine in this flight and show two slightly different taste profiles.
Drylands, Marlborough, Sauvignon Blanc 2007 A pungent rush of gooseberry jumps out of the glass when you pour this wine with cut grass in the background. The same flavors follow in the mouth with the addition of citrus and racy acidity – very nice. Bottled under screwcap. Winemaker Darryl Woolley. P&B in Marlborough 13% $14.99 at Beverages & more! Drylands
Monkey Bay, Marlborough, Sauvignon Blanc 2007 The nose is not giving us much but a bit of herbaceousness and alcohol. The color is deepening at an early stage. This wine was bottled with a rather hard synthetic cork and I suspect that the protective blanket of SO2 has been drifting away. The wine is also a bit sweet, to which I wouldn’t be opposed and am not in the right context. But would anyone expect that in a Marlborough Sauvignon? I would give this a pass. Bottled in Huapai in Auckland 12.5% $9.99 at Beverages & more! Monkey Bay
Omaka Springs, Marlborough, Sauvignon Blanc 2007 This wine features the smell of freshly cut green pepper, perhaps not as pungently so as in the Kim Crawford. The mouth has full-on acidity but also a roundness and depth of flavor, very nice. There’s 11% Semillon in the final blend. Bottled under screwcap. Winemaker Ian Marchant. P&B in Renwick in Marlborough 13% $13.99 at Beverages & more! Omaka Springs