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Label

Sunday Mountain Marlborough 2005
Sauvignon Blanc

Country: New Zealand
Region: Marlborough
Price Paid: $7.99
Date Tasted: May 24, 2007


Nose:

Grassy; cat-pee; a little bit of gasoline, like two drops in the whole bottle, but still there; pool spray or perhaps ocean spray; some cream on the top; fresh motor oil; a very nice underarm smell; apple juice; baked suntan; kiwi, grapefruit, pineapple, a little bit of lime, and also lime leaves, and celery. The nose on the bottle, not the glass, exhibited other things, mostly that unmistakable odor of milk just turning sour, or perhaps buttermilk.

Palate:

Spritzy/zesty, focused on the tip of the tongue: alive and enthusiastic. Nice plush mouthfeel while still remaining crisp. Darcey and I are not too used to acidity, without the tannins as a balance (we favor reds), so it seems a little acidic, but we're willing to bet that the acidity here is just about right for this type of wine. A nice clean finish, though not too long, but again we are more used to reds.

This stuff tastes REAL. Not too fruity, a very nice muskiness, no fakeness, not sweet and very balanced from what we can tell. Perfect alcohol balance as I wasn't even aware of the alcohol. Back of the bottle says "classic gooseberries and tropical fruit," but we've never eaten gooseberries, and I did keep saying "I smell some kind of fruit in here, but not a sweet fruit!" Maybe that flavor-profile is gooseberries. Our first successful white wine, and this means a lot to us! We are so thankful to Gary Vaynerchuk at Winelibrary TV for recommending this wine, especially given its QPR, for we never would have found this wine otherwise, and this is the very first bottle of white wine that we have actually thoroughly enjoyed from first to last.


(Click here for an explanation of our ratings ...)

Our Rating: 91

Would we drink it again?

Yes, you bet we would drink this one again.

Would we buy it again?

Yessiree! In fact we have just ordered another bottle with our latest shipment, and will likley order a few more after that.

About the Marlborough, New Zealand Region

Marlborough is at the top of the South Island, and can be easily reached by air or ferry from Wellington. The city of Blenheim is at the region’s heart, and is just a short 20 minute drive from the breathtaking beaty of the Marlborough Sounds. Over the hills and to the south are the Awatere Valley and the seaside town of Kaikoura.

Marlborough is New Zealand’s largest wine growing region. It has an enviable international reputation for producing the best Sauvignon Blanc in the world. It also makes very good Chardonnay and Riesling and is fast developing a reputation for high quality Pinot Noir. Of the region's ten thousand hectares of grapes (almost half the national crop) one third are planted in Sauvignon Blanc.

Lots of sun, cool nights, low autumn rains and free draining alluvial soils combine to make Marlborough one of the world’s great wine producing regions. Most wineries can be reached after an easy drive from Blenheim, although the radius of land under cultivation is rapidly spreading. To do the region justice, you should allow at least two days for your visit.



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