The Marlborist - Grande Sauvignon2021
WHITE WINE
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Producer
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Blend
100% Sauvignon Blanc
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Country
New Zealand
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Region
Marlborough
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UPC
8-50021-93500-9
Reviews
Robert Parker 91
The 2021 Grande Sauvignon leads with lanolin, beeswax, chalk, fig, white peach and brine. In the mouth, the wine is textural and broad. It's complex and good, but it also feels muted and subdued. A gourmand wine, it's one that will pair well in a restaurant due to its quiet nature, complex textural nuances and length of flavor. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
by EL, Robert Parker , 2023
Vinous Media 90
The 2021 Sauvignon The Marlborist Grande has a sense of swag. Fermented in old French puncheons and barrique, its edges are curved and there are oak-derived toasted hazelnut flavors and biscuity-like lees notes alongside the ripe, white-stone fruit. The tangy green and sweet blackcurrant hints of Sauvignon make an appearance on the back-palate, reminding you of the variety behind the wine. Both focused and textural, the finish is firm and confident. At this early stage, it needs time to settle, its components still being awkward but there's a lot to like here. You can't fault the ambition.
by RG, Vinous Media , 2023
Technical Details
Estate
The Marlborist is a celebration of all that we love about Marlborough. Nestled between the snowcapped Southern Alps and the Pacific Ocean, at the top of New Zealand’s South Island, the place where the founders built their knowledge and honed their craft, working for some of the regions’ pioneers. As a result, they have come to know some of the most beautiful vineyard sites and seasoned growers. The founders dedicated their working lives to the evolution, development and craft of the very best of the Marlborough region in New Zealand.
The Marlborist makes wines we love to drink, share and look forward to enjoying with the benefits of age. Drawing on an intimate knowledge of the region and sourcing fruit from some of Marlborough’s most revered vineyards and created a range that shines a modern light on classic varieties.
Tasting notes
Not one bound by convention, The Marlborist Grande Sauvignon is an alternative style of Sauvignon Blanc that is both intricate and textural, with a rich, generous palate that finishes with a flinty dryness. An alluring array of orange blossom, green apple and golden-fleshed nectarines with hints of brioche and nougat. This is a beautiful wine with a rich, creamy palate underpinned by a long, citrus finish. The Grande Sauvignon boldly steps away from the classic Marlborough style. Low yielding, hand-picked and wild fermented in French oak puncheons, this rich, complex wine breaks every rule in the book.
Vinification
Fruit was sourced primarily from the Linklater Family Vineyard in Renwick. An elevated river terrace with young, alluvial soils overlying large deposits of greywacke stone, the combination of free-draining soils and naturally low yields allowed the vines to ripen small, golden bunches of intensely flavored fruit. Picked on a sunny autumnal morning on the 28th March, the fruit was harvested by hand and transported directly to the winery where it was gently pressed and cold settled for three days. The juice was racked to old French oak puncheons and left to spontaneously ferment by indigenous ‘wild’ yeast, a process that took several months to complete. Occasional lees stirring and a full malolactic fermentation occurred before the wine was transferred out of oak. Each batch was left on lees and kept separate until April when the blend was assembled and then settled prior to bottling in August.