2014 Te Mania Estate Sauvignon Blanc Nelson

Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc As It SHOULD Be … But So Rarely Is!

It was John R. from Rosemont, PA, who put it best when he posted his 5-star review of Steve Gill’s ultra-mineral Te Mania Sauvignon Blanc. “Who needs Cloudy Bay?” John wrote.

Who indeed?

The vast majority of the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc found on local liquor store shelves are drawn from overcropped vineyards that push out upwards of 10 tons per acre. The wines are thin, sweet (to mask high acidity and under-ripeness), and insipid. Over the last five years, the dollar has been weak against its New Zealand counterpart, causing many of the finest Kiwi wineries to pull out of the American market. But now, with the U.S.D. staging a (modest) comeback, some of the most remarkable estates are reconsidering, not least of which is Te Mania.

Thousands visit Nelson, the seaside town situated in northwest corner of the South Island. Some come for the hikes in Abel Tasman National Park. Some for Nelson’s blue skies and crystalline coastline. But while we love the snorkeling, we take that hop from Auckland to Nelson for just one reason — to sip Te Mania Sauvignon Blanc with winemaker Steve Gill.

While most in New Zealand were sucked in by the promise of quick U.S. dollars in the 1990s — driving production costs down by pushing yields to the max — Te Mania stuck to its guns. Gill’s vines are farmed to just two shoots per plant and just three or four clusters per shoot, following strictest Sancerre protocol. The harvest is done by hand, each bunch gently dropped into small bins, en route to Steve’s crusher. The vinification here is long and cool, magnifying extraction and ripe citrus concentration— all that juiciness braced by firm acids that stem from a summertime diurnal temperature shift of over 40 degrees!

The 2014 Te Mania Sauvignon Blanc is brilliant golden-green. Pungent aromas of green apple, pear, and ripe citrus, laced with anise. Crisp, vibrant, yet unusually rich and dense — yes, Cloudy Bay-like — filled with a juicy mix of lemon-lime tart, apple compote, and lemon zest, finishing with bracing acidity. A strong contender in a top-notch Sancerre taste-off, Steve Gill’s 2014 is Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc as it should be … but so rarely is!

$30 on release. Due to the recent surge of the dollar, just HALF-price today, only on WineAccess. Shipping included on 6.

• ABV 13.00%
• Enjoy right away
• % Sauvignon Blanc