Unmistakably sauvignon blanc in aroma and flavour. Intense, lifted fruit in the passionfruit, floral, citrus spectrum with a cut grass edge to it. Mid-palate weight and texture adds interest. Balanced acidity provides freshness and length. Dry, clean finish.

Printhie is a name to watch. Chardonnay is a high point and so is this very good Sauvignon. It shows how well the cool New South Wales district of Orange suits this variety. It's all about fragrant, pure varietal fruit. It has tropical fruit salad, lightly herbal and grassy notes, good texture and depth, finishing zesty and refreshing; Ralph Kyte-Powell, Age, May 2011

It’s difficult for an Aussie sauvignon blanc – made in the fresh fruit style – to break through these days, but I dare say that the Printhie version has. Just goes to show – the best marketing is inside the bottle. It’s a pristine bottle of white wine. Fresh, fruity, a little bit fancy and a little bit aloof. It’s not in-your-face but it doesn’t under-deliver either. Dry grasses and lemons, passionfruit and gunmetal. Fruits and occasions of the summer. I like it. It deserves an audience. Rated : 91 Points; Alcohol : 12.5%; Price : $18 Closure : Screwcap Drink : 2011 - 2012 By Campbell Mattinson The Wine Front

Printhie is one of the foremost wineries in the Orange region, established by the Swift family in 1996. This ready-to-go wine comes from the bottom of the three-tiered range, and meets its objective of providing particularly good value for money. Light straw-green, it has attractive, fresh, tropical aromas on the bouquet with ripe citrus, lime and mineral injected into the palate; the finish is crisp and clean. Rating: 90 Points; Drink: 2012; Price: $18.00; Alcohol: 12.5%; James Halliday Wine Companion, Nov 2011

The certified organic fruit comes from selected parcels in the Seresin home block vineyard which surrounds the winery. The fruit used for the 2006 Marama comes from our oldest Sauvignon Blanc vines and makes up the ripest portion of our Sauvignon Blanc harvest. The grapes were hand picked between March 20 and April 5. The fruit was hand-sorted then whole-bunch pressed, before being transferred directly to French Burgundian barriques, twenty five percent of which were new. The juice and solids were left to undergo spontaneous fermentation using natural yeast, followed by partial natural malolatic fermentation. The wine was then left in barrel on yeast lees for fifteen months, with regular stirring.

The Marama has its own identity, richly textured it exhibits aromas of citrus and passionfruit with a hint truffle. The palate is complex with tropical fruit and melon, creme caramel and a long, lingering finish. This wine should develop well over the next eight years.

Cinematographer Michael Seresin does not own Harry Potter’s magic wand to make great Marlborough wine, but he does have the second best thing in the form of estate manager Colin Ross, an Australian who makes Nicolas Joly look a lightweight biodynamist. Having purchased his first 167-acre parcel of vines in the Wairau in 1992 that constitutes the “Home Vineyard,” Seresin’s wines debuted with the 1996 vintage; since then he has purchased the “Raupo Creek Vineyard” in Omaka, which is undergoing organic conversion and the “Tatou Vineyard” at the western end of the Wairau Valley. All fruit is sourced from these parcels, hand-picked and sorted before being whole-bunch pressed with young English-born winemaker Clive Dougall in charge of the winemaking. Seresin is certainly a name to look out for, producing some wonderful, complex, natural wines. Neal Martin; Wine Advocate

Welcomed winter rains replenished sub-soil moisture. Other than a spike of hot weather in November, the growing season was very mild and harvest weather perfect. Below average crops and cool weather resulted in intense flavours and high natural acidity. An excellent vintage! Vibrant pale straw with brilliant green tinges. Intense aromas of tropical fruits and citrus peel. Sauvignon Blanc is a regional speciality in the cooler Adelaide Hills. The wine is unoaked to maximise its fresh varietal character and overall tangy, zippy flavours. It has more middle palate and length than more herbaceous styles. A young refreshing wine with pure varietal flavours and lively acidity. A benchmark for Australian Sauvignon Blanc.

Pale straw-green; the perfumed bouquet offers passionfruit, kiwi fruit and citrus aromas that set the scene for the palate, with a feline grace that would capture the most ardent despiser of sauvignon blanc. Mature vineyards and years of practice make this the most dependable Australian sauvignon blanc. From Adelaide Hills, SA; Drink to 2014 with scampi; Rating: 96 points, $25, Screwcap, 12.5% alc; James Halliday Top 100 for 2011; The Weekend Australian, November 19th

One of Australia's benchmarks, this year's is restrained, flinty almost with briar and lantana background notes while the fruit plays between citrus and a dash of passionfruit. It's incredibly slurpable, with more-ish texture and is as lithe and balanced as you could ever wish. 94 Points; Tony Love, Top 100 Wines - Taste.com.au

A RARE triumph from what winemaker Martin Shaw describes as one of the toughest vintages that he can remember. The wet and humid conditions wiped out all their shiraz and 90 per cent of their chardonnay but this is a lovely aromatic wine, with lower sugar levels but lashings of passionfruit/ grapefruit flavour and really nice length with good acidity. A worthy challenger to the top Kiwi savvys. The Examiner

Ahh, such honesty in winemaker Martin Shaw’s press release, “With the exception of sauvignon blanc our vintage 2011 was a shocker by any standards”, he writes. The cold, wet season completely wiped out his shiraz and 90 per cent of his chardonnay – big losses for a small maker to bear. The cold conditions might have delivered one of those capsicum-like sauvignons, in the Marlborough mould. But the 2011 retains the brand’s tropical-fruit character, albeit more subdued than usual. The racy, fresh, bone-dry palate also introduces a pleasing herbal note. Chris Shanahan

The Starlite Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010 is sourced from premium the Marlborough sub regions of Awatere, Wairau and Waihopai. The vines were planted, tended to and harvested by gun winemaker Ant Moore, the man that put Isabel Estate on the map before concentrating on his own projects. This is unashamedly a genuinely hand crafted wine from vineyard to bottle, a far cry from the mass produced and 'same-same' Marlborough versions of the variety.

Almost perfect vintage conditions prevailed for the inaugural Starlite Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010. What began with unseasonably warm temperatures was then followed by protracted cool spring weather. The early warmth allowed for successful shoot growth and flowering at the important set time. The summer was reasonably warm but very dry which allowed for fruit of excellent concentration and acid levels.

While the majority of the fermentations were carried out in stainless steel tanks, a portion was barrel fermented in old French oak barriques the result of which adds considerable complexity to an already textural masterpiece.

Frustrated by the cheap and nasty examples being passed off as Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, we set out to make the best possible example while keeping the resultant cost 'real'. The result is spectacular and we would be happy to have it benchmarked against any other from the southern hemisphere! It opens up as immediately and refreshing intense with concentrated characters of tropical fruits, citrus and a sprinkling of herb adding to the cast of thousands. In the mouth it is full bodied and provides luscious fresh fruit flavours and bracing, balancing acidity with the portion of barrel ferment doing its job here by contributing a creamy, textural richness. Bert Werden

A new venture by the ever entrepreneurial Bert Werden (of WineStar) featuring a range of wines from different regions. The bottle art is by his young daughter and it’s delightful. Expect a Barossa Shiraz and an Adelaide Hills Chardonnay to join the ranks soon. Lightly grassy herbal nose leads into an energetic passionfruit and lime drizzled palate with appropriate capsicum spiciness and good focus and definition. It’s not overt or over-bearing – it’s a more subdued and zesty style. Like the dry spicy finish and modest alcohol. Good stuff. Rated : 91 Points Tasted : Apr11 Alcohol : 12.5% Price : $16.99 Closure : Screwcap Drink : 2011 - 2013 By Gary Walsh; The Wine Front

This is an exciting Sauvignon Blanc displaying an appealing mix of fresh tropical fruit, rockmelon, pineapple and white peach. Creamy palate with an uncomplicated and soft progression to a refreshing finish. Good length with rich mouthfeel, this first class Sauvignon Blanc is suited to all occasions. Alc/Vol: 13.2 %

The first of the new release whites was the Te Mata ‘Cape Crest’ Sauvignon Blanc 2009 at 13.5% and a blend of 86% Sauvignon Blanc, 9% Semillon and 5% Sauvignon Gris, fermented and matured 8 months in new and seasoned oak, was very pale straw in colour showing its youth.  Beautifully fresh with exotic nectarine, herb and minerally aromas along with a smoky oak touch, this was exquisitely fine on palate with intensity, depth and tightly bound fruit flavours and fresh acid crispness.  ‘ Cape Crest ’ always looks fine on release and this will age 5-8 years. 19.0+/20 Raymond Chan (NZ)

Te Mata’s Cape Crest sauvignon blanc is barrel fermented – and includes a dash of both semillon and sauvignon gris (which combined make up about 10 percent of the blend). It is its own beast. This is a tight, powerful wine – it’s a structured, woody white suited more to red wine drinkers than to those seeking the pungent fruity refreshment of more standard sauvignon blanc fare. It tastes of lemongrass and spicy oak, pineapple and lees, all of which angles down to a taut, metallic finish. For sheer complexity I was inclined to rate it highly; but it’s wound so tight that I was left with a question mark over its length. As with many Te Mata wines – it encourages fascination. 91 points; Campbell Mattinson; The Wine Front

A group of Hawke’s Bays winemakers got together and compiled a list of the wines they will be enjoying over summer. Three of the ten chose Te Mata Estate Cape Crest Sauvignon Blanc. Hugh Crichton, Vidal Estate: “The 2009 Te Mata Estate Cape Crest Sauvignon Blanc. If Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc isn’t you thing then try this Hawke’s Bay version. It shows ripeness yet restraint, is beautifully fragrant and complex with barrel fermentation and aging adding depth to the wine without overshadowing it. There are a number of other good examples around but this one consistently performs. A great food wine with the ability to age.” Antony Mackenzie, Te Awa Winery: “I’ll be drinking plenty of Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc blends this summer. Blends with Semillon or even wines that are lightly oaked are great additions to the Hawke’s Bay lifestyle. Wines such as Te Mata Cape Crest come to mind as wonderful expressions of this style.”

The 2011 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon is bottled using Lean and Green lightweight bottles and is packaged in locally-manufactured, 100% recycled cardboard boxes. Using packaging from sustainable sources is part of our comprehensive environmental program which has seen Voyager Estate recognised with EntWine Australia certification. EntWine Australia internationally recognises wineries’ environmental practices according to recognised standards.

The 2011 vintage has produced a classic example of this quintessential Margaret River blend. Comprising 56% Sauvignon Blanc and 44% Semillon, the wine is straw green in colour and displays vibrant aromas of tropical fruits, citrus pith and hints of white nectarine. The palate reveals pure fruit characters: rich citrus and white nectarine flavours with hints of gooseberry and passionfruit. A small component of barrel fermentation has added complexity and texture to the palate of this perfectly balanced wine, which has a long, crisp and dry finish. This wine is made for drinking whilst young and fresh.

Pale straw. Aromas of gooseberry and guava, with strong citrus pith and hints of passionfruit are evident on the nose. A fresh blend that carries rich fruit flavours of gooseberry and passionfruit across the palate to a crisp dry finish.

100% Stainless steel was used to retain the fresh fruit characters of this wine. This wine was made from fruit of both the Wairau and the Awatere Valleys of Marlborough. Pale yellow and green. Ripe and rich, with lifted tropical notes along with fresh herbaceousness. A beautifully generous palate, with crisp acidity and a long finish. Once again tropical flavours combined with nettles and capsicum characters to give crispness and structure.

Gold - New Zealand International Wine Competition 2010
Gold - Mundus Vini Great International Wine Show (Germany)
Pure Silver - Air New Zealand Wine Awards 2010
Silver - Wrest Point Royal Hobart International Wine Show 2010
Silver - Japan Wine Show 2011
Bronze - IWC International Wine Challenge 2011 (UK)
Commended - Decanter World Wine Awards

A little restraint here - quite contained and elegant, with tropical fruits, florals and a grassy edge. The palate delivers up-front flavour in a jangly frame. Nick Stock; The Age Sydney Morning Herald Good Wine Guide 2011

2010 vintage was as close to perfect as we have had in many years in the Great Southern region. The days were warm and dry and the nights were cool offering optimum conditions for ripening grapes.

Numerous parcels of fruit, mostly from Mt Barker and Frankland, were harvested at varying degrees of ripeness. Preservation of the intense aromas and flavours was of high importance and oxidative processes were eliminated. Only free run juice was used for this blend and the slow, cool ferments were closely monitored. The wines were then stabilised, filtered, lightly fined with skim milk and then blended to obtain the most aromatic and complex wine possible. A classic Sauvignon Blanc with clean crisp tropical and citrus fruit flavours. A touch of tropical fruits appear on the mouth filling mid palate. Racy acidity gives a clean, fresh finish with excellent length.

Green straw with brilliant clarity. A green grassy nose with subtle hints of pear and apple. A classic Sauvignon Blanc with clean crisp tropical and citrus fruit flavours. A touch of tropical fruits appear on the mouth filling mid palate. Racy acidity gives a clean, fresh finish with excellent length. Consume this wine while it is youthful and zesty

There is something for everyone in this wine, not the least great value. Pale quartz-tinged with green colour, then an aromatic bouquet with distinct wild herb notes, the juicily intense palate adding pea pod and citrus; crisp, crunchy acidity on the finish leaves the mouth thirsting for more. From Mount Barker, WA; Drink Now with Salmon and zucchini terrine; 95 points & Halliday’s Top 100 Wines for 2010 – The Weekend Australian November 13-14, 2010

Made by the guys at Hoddles Creek Creek; the Wickhams Road wines are made with the same philosophy used with Hoddles Creek. They are single vineyard wines with the care and attention that has made Hoddles Creek such a success. The difference with Wickhams Road is that it has been sourced from trusted growers around Victoria. Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front

Y? There’s no question. At this price, it should be “Y Not”? The perfect partner to Stumpy (D’Arenberg The Stump Jump Grenache Shiraz Mourvédre 2009), Sauvignon is the most versatile food white. This pair will handle everything on your celebration table (except choc – you’re not still on about that?). This is serious Sauv, romping over many NZs at double its price. Drink now. Rating 91 - Tyson Stelzer

Yalumba yet again delivers the goods with the best value Sauvignon duo in Australasia - a serious Sauvignon in a bargain guise. Crisp, crunchy and packed with lime, gooseberry and asparagus, it's a refreshingly zesty and dry style with a much more persistent palate line than you'd expect.Rating 91 - Tyson Stelzer, Wine 100 (March/April 2011)

The Yalumba winery consistently over-delivers in the lower-price categories, and this South Australian Sauvignon Blanc epitomises the philosophy. Grapey and lightly savoury aromas add dimension to the usual varietial cues of tropical fruit and herbs, and it has good balance with a soft middle and tangy end. Food idea: Thai salad.4 stars - Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Age Epicure Wine + Food (Autumn 2011)

Generous and easily befriended sauvignon with lovely tropical fruit characters and ripe richness in the mouth that's offset by some fairly zippy tang. A good all-rounder and well discounted. Another little ripper from the Y Series collection that offers such good value. Food: Thai-style chicken Value:Terrific -Tony Love

Yarra Yarra Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2004 - $599.88 per dozen or $49.99 per bottle
Long and seamless, this carefully oaked white Bordeaux blend has a lightly herbal fragrance of fresh lemon, gooseberries and melon with a floral, mineral and lightly toasted, dusty vanilla oak background. Its generous, creamy palate of mouthfilling lemon/melon fruit is tightly knit with oak, finishing long and seamless, with lemony acids. Significantly more fruit-driven than herbaceous, it just lacks the acid definition for an even higher score. (Yarra Valley, $40 retail, approx., 94 points, drink 2006-2009+) Jeremy Oliver

Notwithstanding its tiny production, the wines of Yarra Yarra have found their way onto a veritable who's who listing of Melbourne's best restaurants. This has encouraged Ian Maclean to increase the estate plantings from 2 hectares to over 7 hectares during the 1996 and 1997 seasons. The demand for the wines will only be intensified by the quality of the current releases. James Halliday

A blend of 70 per cent Semillon, fermented and aged for 15 months in 30 per cent new, the remainder in older, French oak barriques. A number of different yeasts including wild yeasts are used and the wine is left on lees and stirred regularly. James Halliday

Typical Yarra Yarra style, with a complete fusion of the varieties and oak in the manner of white Bordeaux; has great length, good balance and natural acidity; ambitious pricing. 13º alc. Rating 94 Drink 2012 Date Tasted Mar 07 James Halliday Wine Companion