Twenty five years in the wine trade and I don't think i've ever written so many columns about white or rose wines but with weather like this, even a red wine junkie like myself isnt complaining. Anyway, it’s time to put Marlborough Sauvignon under the spotlight because if there's one wine that was made to pair with global warming it's that one.
Sauvignon Blanc is well known to old world lovers as the grape of Sancerre in France but if anyone really defined the grape it was the Kiwis, with a little help from an outrageous description of the wine that just seemed to sum it up in one. The description was ‘Cat’s pee on a gooseberry bush’ and if, like myself, you've owned cats and enjoyed gooseberries, you’ll get it quite easily.
Marlborough really is a golden country for the grape, with incredible soil, a unique microclimate and some of the best winemakers in the world. The end result are wines with incredibly fruity, often pungent noses backed up by mouth watering acidity. To quote the opal fruit adverts, they really do make the mouth water which makes them so delicious as aperitif wines on a hot summers day. The Marlborough Sauvignons are rarely cheap but trust me, they are worth every penny when the mercury rises!
Lofthouse Sauvignon Blanc
Oh my, even in the rarefied world that is Marlborough, this stands out. Fresh cut grass and tropical fruit on the nose with crisp, clean acidity and hints of limes on the finish.
Corney & Barrow £12.25
Craft 3
Lychees and nettles on the nose with masses of refreshing lemon flavours on the palate. Great with grilled chicken.
Marks & Spencer £10.00
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