Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

The wine

The last impression is grapefruit, crisp and tart, with fresh herbs still in it. That is the line that makes this a Sauvignon Blanc. The fruit that opened the glass is vivid, and the herbs are what the finish keeps.

The greeting is fruit. Grapefruit, lemon, and pineapple, bright and separate, then a palate of bright citrus and a wider tropical line with those herbs running through the middle. The herbs tighten the fruit before the close arrives. Pineapple stays vivid. Lemon in the aroma keeps the top bright, and the tartness is already there, shaping the glass while the fruit is still generous.

What holds is that herbal grapefruit against the tropical fruit. The wine stays vivid from the first smell through a finish that is still grapefruit and still herbal. The pineapple has room. The herbs are what keep the grape recognizable, green at the edge, and tart when the fruit has thinned.

The tartness is the structure, present with the pineapple and still present when grapefruit and herbs are what remain. This is a vivid Sauvignon Blanc that finishes herbal. The tropical fruit is the generosity. The green edge is the reason it tastes like the grape.

Exact bottle. Karl Hill’s photographs confirm less than 0.5% alcohol by volume, a base of 97% dealcoholized Sauvignon Blanc wine with 3% grape juice concentrate, and sulfur dioxide as preservative. The 12 fl oz panel lists 60 calories, 14 g carbohydrate and 13 g total and added sugars. Giesen Group is the named Marlborough producer; Saranty Imports is the U.S. importer. Lot LW51731 was photographed. These package facts do not alter the firsthand tasting.