The Auswine Forum

Currently sipping on a glass of 2002 Waipara Hills Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc which accompanied dinneer of whiting cooked in Thai spices (Stelvin). While a good match for the food, it struck me that while true to variety, so much NZ sauvignon blanc is so much same ol' same ol'. All in the capsicum, passionfruit, asparagus, nettle, cut grass, tinned peas spectrum, with little complexity, less subtlety and little scope for development. While a good match for some foods, provides little by way of surprises. Any thoughts from others?

Matthew

Matt,
They r not the same, obviously u hv never try enough.
I like Isabel for it's upfront fruits intensity. Lawson Dryhills is more rounded and complexed(oakaged) Forrest - lively with penetrating acidic backbone. NgaWaka has got this unique "perfumed talcum powder" characteristic. Palliser is limey almost like a Riesling.

Explore...

Cheers,

Hi Matthew,

I remain a big fan of NZ SB. Anything with a list of characters as long as "capsicum, passionfruit, asparagus, nettle, cut grass, tinned peas" falls solidly into the "complex" realm for me. I agree with you that most NZ SBs have "little scope for development" but they don't pretend to be anything less and I don't expect them to live long. They represent an important style - and a distinctive one - and I am glad that they do not pretend to be a chardonnay, semillon or riesling.

Cheers,
Tyson.

Matthew,
Maybe you should go stand in the Red Bigots corner if NZ Sauv Blanc no longers excites - but then the odd NZ Sauv Blanc has been known to at least once titillate the senses of even the most opinionated red bigot around.
As Martin said you have obviously not tried enough if you think they all taste the same - so try them in a line-up (if you get the chance) and you will see the differences. Having just tasted 30 new release sauv blancs one after the other I can vouch for the variation in flavours profiles and styles. What worries me most is when I get Sauv Blanc that tastes like Riesling - I wonder why they bother.
Cheers,
Sue

PS How do you get on with the sameness and lack of differentiation of chardonnay and many Aussie shiraz's? Does that not bother you?

Matthew, you are welcome in the RB corner!

Sue, you are probably right about the chardonnay, but you obviously haven't tried enough Oz shiraz, or at least sufficient of the vast range of styles from the different regions.

Brian,
Let me expand on that - I mean many (not all) Sth Aus shiraz in the $15 to $25 price bracket.
I do try a lot of Aus shiraz 'cos I like it but am worried about the lack of differentiation that is starting to appear - especially in the riper vintages.
2002 should be interesting, however.
Cheers,
Sue

SueNZ wrote:Let me expand on that - I mean many (not all) Sth Aus shiraz in the $15 to $25 price bracket.

Sue,

That's a much more defensible proposition than the original one. I'm finding I have to buy more in the $25-$40 bracket for SA now to get the individual styles and quality I want. There are still plenty of good wines in the $15-$25 range (depending on vintage), but I'm buying more for 7-10 years cellaring than the generally earlier drinking styles in the lower price ranges.

We fairly regularly have SA Shiraz themes at the tasting groups I go to and with the 2001 reds I've done a few brackets where the comments have been 'all good, but all different, hard to pick a favourite'.

Personally I have always been of the opinion that the best NZ Sauvs are dry, intensely harbaceous, lean and super crisp, and indeed early drinkers (Although Craig can attest to how good the 96 Cloudy Bay aged, apparently it still drinks well now). When they start playing 'meddling winemaker' in an effort to expand beyond grape flavours in an effort to gain complexity it can dilute the style and create rounded, occasionally boring wines. The best sauvs are complex and interesting on their own-relying on grape flavours to ahcive complexity.

Junior

and little scope for development.

Matthw,

I find there's signifiacnt variety in style and quality in NZ SB's, whether they are two everyone's taste in another matter.

It's like saying 'all Shiraz taste the same' which may be the case for a small segment of the market, but place a Bannockburn, Langi and Torbreck side by side and you get a fair bit of variety.

In terms of the comment made above I go along with the Cluody Bayt winemaker who sais that "they'll age, but why bother?".

Murray

the only good NZ Sav is an oaked one. Makes it taste more like a Chardonnay and less like acidic peas soaked in passionfruit juice

Life is too short to drink Sauvignon Blanc

Barr some exceptions ie Sauternes (with alot of sem of course)

although im certain every wine has a time and a place