Te Mata Estate Cape Crest Sauvignon Blanc

We all know that it’s Marlborough that flies the flag on the international scene for New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. But Te Mata Estate’s Cape Crest Sauvignon Blanc from the Hawke’s Bay has been getting wine buffs in every corner of the globe giddy with excitement upon its release every year since its first vintage in 1984.

Other wines in the Te Mata get the headlines (like Coleraine, Awatea, Elston) but Cape Crest really does fly under the radar a wee bit.

96/100 (Huon Hooke, The Real Review) 
“Light, bright colour; intense nutty, spicy, balsamic bouquet with dried flowers and assorted spices galore, the palate tremendously intense and powerful, loaded with a myriad flavours and a multi-layered reosnance that lingers ion and on. A profound wine that exists on a higher level than most sauvignon blanc.”

93/100 (Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review) 
“Fermented in 100% French oak with 30% new. Fruit forward wine that gains complexity from a sauvignon blanc blend with semillon and sauvignon gris. Creamy-textured wine with grapefruit and redcurrant flavours against a background of nutty yeast lees and spicy oak.”

This world famous label is 88% Sauvignon Blanc, 7% Sauvignon Gris and a 5% splash of Semillon, barrel fermented in new and seasoned French oak. It’s certainly a little bit different, it’s certainly very delicious! It’s loaded to the gunnels with an army of tropical fruit flavours like passionfruit, gooseberry, white nectarine, kaffir lime.

Like most Sauvignon this can be enjoyed young and fresh and best served chilled. But don’t be shy to throw a couple of bottles in the cellar, it should evolve nicely between 3-5 years from vintage.