Does not smell like a typical NZ SB - in fact I'd be hard pressed to identify this as a SB from the nose. Smells fresh and lemony, with definite saline, mineral notes, maybe a touch of peach. Light yet very powerful on the palate, really vibrant with bracing crisp apple and lemon acidity, lovely ripe midpalate and a long, long finish which is both tangy and ripe. Taste veers from lemon and apple, to peach and pineapple - never gets sweet or lowsy. This is one honed wine. Still absolutely peak, the colour is light lemon gold - maybe a tinge of green.
Overall this reminds me more of a really good Chablis than a SB - maybe there a similar oak treatment. Regardless, this is one of the finest whites I've had in a long, long time and well worth the $20 or so paid. Really a memorable wine.
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Popped 1 hour before first pour, consumed over 4 hours. Nose: Medium-plus expressiveness, apple, apricot, minerals, and grass. Palate: Creamy mouth-feel, lush tropical fruit up front that builds in intensity through the mid-palate where it's joined by green pepper and a little mineral kick that carries through the back-end. Finish: Medium-plus length sense of tasty tropical fruit with a hint of crushed rock and minerals.
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Popped and poured. Nose: Expressive scents of citrus, pear, apple, white flowers, and grass. Palate: Medium to full bodied, nice balance, smooth mouth feel, tangy tropical fruits, and green apple. Finish: Medium+ sense of tart green apple and citrus flavors. I sensed no decline in this 5 year old, still drinking like a vibrant youthful Sauvignon Blanc.
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I feared I might have left this Sauvignon a year too much. But there is so much class in this wine, I needn't have worried. Beautiful nose predominantly of nettles, a lovely balance of acidity and fruit, great finish. Superb accompaniment to our gravadlax. Drinking perfectly now.
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Paleish yellow. Distinctive Sauvignon nose of cut grass, gooseberry and a touch of something ferral, the Kiwiness tempered by a slight creaminess. A hint of sweetness on the attack cut through by tangy Sauvignon fruit. Quite smooth, moderate complexity and decent length. Good but pushing at poorish vfm. A good wine though with time in hand. ***
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Not sure what to make of this...certainly one of the most unusual wines I have had. Initially rather high acid, with peach, hay, cat pee, and lemon. Wild yeast used to ferment, and it's obvious...must be some brett in there. Definitely a little easier to palate the second day, but you'd have to have food with this to really calm it. Maybe some stinky creamy cheese?
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Lots of peach, hay and cat pee on the nose. Light gold appearance. Good acidity. Lots of gooseberry and grapefruit. Pretty classic in nature. Shows what NZ can do with SB.
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One of the best SB's I've had in a long time. After it opened up it had a nice caramel finish that meshed nicely with the grassy lemon flavors on the palate. It's got the potential to get better too.
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Nez résolument néo-zélandais, sur le pamplemousse et les fruits tropicaux. La bouche montre la fraicheur et le fruit caractéristiques des vins du pays, avec cependant un raffinement que j’y trouve rarement. Dans sa finale plus minérale, il se donne presque des airs de Pouilly-Fumé. L’élevage de qualité a réussi à lui inculquer une belle classe, sans le priver de ses origines ni se montrer ostentatoire. 90 pts
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15th Feb 2009: a great disappointment! the nose was very weak, no discernible flavour and the taste was very weak with no character at all. The regular Dog Point SB is way more crisp. The Section 94 does not deserve its premium price level.
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Rather unconventional style of wine-making. Besides the freshness and full-body it has a excellent intensity and exploding aromas. Funky and sexy could be the perfect description here. Try with asian style of cooking, fruits de mer will do very bad. 9 finish
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Annual Gala (Casa Jay): While this is quite a bit more refined than the regular bottling with citrus peel, lemon verbeena, and clean acidity, it doesn't hold the value that the regular bottling does. Medium body, slight minerality, and a touch of an herbal streak.
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Labor Day Weekend Get Together: I like NZ SB, and I liked this wine, but have a hard time seeing such lofty scores for it. Softer, rounder then the regular bottling, but with the tell tale NZ gooseberry notes of NZ SB. Must see a little time in barrel. Which means those who are looking for that bright lip smacking NZ slap of SB might be a little disapointed. This wine is coming out wearing stylish formal wear, and pulls it off. It's a beautiful wine. However, it's $40, and still NZ SB. For me, not my 1st choice if I'm picking out a $40 bottle of wine.
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11/14/2015 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 90 Points
A Matter of Taste, lovely rich and stinky, that's what I wrote.
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1/16/2013 - jaybird1234 wrote: flawed
Not good. Obviously flawed or very pungent.
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7/21/2012 - thebonnydooner wrote: 93 Points
Does not smell like a typical NZ SB - in fact I'd be hard pressed to identify this as a SB from the nose. Smells fresh and lemony, with definite saline, mineral notes, maybe a touch of peach. Light yet very powerful on the palate, really vibrant with bracing crisp apple and lemon acidity, lovely ripe midpalate and a long, long finish which is both tangy and ripe. Taste veers from lemon and apple, to peach and pineapple - never gets sweet or lowsy. This is one honed wine. Still absolutely peak, the colour is light lemon gold - maybe a tinge of green.
Overall this reminds me more of a really good Chablis than a SB - maybe there a similar oak treatment. Regardless, this is one of the finest whites I've had in a long, long time and well worth the $20 or so paid. Really a memorable wine.
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6/28/2012 - prasm wrote: 91 Points
Popped 1 hour before first pour, consumed over 4 hours. Nose: Medium-plus expressiveness, apple, apricot, minerals, and grass. Palate: Creamy mouth-feel, lush tropical fruit up front that builds in intensity through the mid-palate where it's joined by green pepper and a little mineral kick that carries through the back-end. Finish: Medium-plus length sense of tasty tropical fruit with a hint of crushed rock and minerals.
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1/18/2012 - DemeesterWim wrote: 91 Points
Great intensity and fully mature. Drink now.
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4/29/2011 - prasm wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured. Nose: Expressive scents of citrus, pear, apple, white flowers, and grass. Palate: Medium to full bodied, nice balance, smooth mouth feel, tangy tropical fruits, and green apple. Finish: Medium+ sense of tart green apple and citrus flavors. I sensed no decline in this 5 year old, still drinking like a vibrant youthful Sauvignon Blanc.
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4/28/2011 - klino wrote: 91 Points
Smell of elderflower, grass, petroleum. Good, crisp acidity, yet smooth mouthfeeling. On it's decline though, so drink up now.
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10/20/2010 - Lax wrote: 94 Points
Stunning depth and bold flavor profile. Will seek out more of this wine
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9/6/2010 - Keith Cooper wrote: 95 Points
I feared I might have left this Sauvignon a year too much. But there is so much class in this wine, I needn't have worried. Beautiful nose predominantly of nettles, a lovely balance of acidity and fruit, great finish. Superb accompaniment to our gravadlax. Drinking perfectly now.
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8/23/2010 - SimonG wrote:
Paleish yellow. Distinctive Sauvignon nose of cut grass, gooseberry and a touch of something ferral, the Kiwiness tempered
by a slight creaminess. A hint of sweetness on the attack cut through by tangy Sauvignon fruit. Quite smooth, moderate complexity and decent length. Good but pushing at poorish vfm. A good wine though with time in hand. ***
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6/13/2010 - linserge wrote:
Disappointing. Syrupy, chemical, over-extracted, and weird hints of tropical fruits like pineapple.
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4/17/2010 - wdb001 wrote: 92 Points
Yummy.
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4/16/2010 - JeffJo wrote: flawed
A bit of an off bottle
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2/8/2010 - jfd717 wrote: 90 Points
A little softer than I expected. Wild flavors, bordering on (but not quite) disjointed. Needs some air and best with food.
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11/16/2009 - kevin h wrote: 88 Points
Fairly intense, concentrated wine with grapefruit aromas and flavours dominating.
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10/16/2009 - TylerMcNinch wrote:
Not sure what to make of this...certainly one of the most unusual wines I have had. Initially rather high acid, with peach, hay, cat pee, and lemon. Wild yeast used to ferment, and it's obvious...must be some brett in there. Definitely a little easier to palate the second day, but you'd have to have food with this to really calm it. Maybe some stinky creamy cheese?
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8/8/2009 - pizzler wrote: 92 Points
Consistent notes with the last bottle. This is a head turner.
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7/23/2009 - cadamson wrote: 91 Points
Lots of peach, hay and cat pee on the nose. Light gold appearance. Good acidity. Lots of gooseberry and grapefruit. Pretty classic in nature. Shows what NZ can do with SB.
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6/12/2009 - pizzler wrote: 92 Points
One of the best SB's I've had in a long time. After it opened up it had a nice caramel finish that meshed nicely with the grassy lemon flavors on the palate. It's got the potential to get better too.
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6/11/2009 - sneezy wrote: 92 Points
Almost an initial lavender floral note followed by grapefruit. Buttery mouth feel and smooth finish
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4/12/2009 - d'Artagnan wrote: 90 Points
Nez résolument néo-zélandais, sur le pamplemousse et les fruits tropicaux.
La bouche montre la fraicheur et le fruit caractéristiques des vins du pays, avec cependant un raffinement que j’y trouve rarement. Dans sa finale plus minérale, il se donne presque des airs de Pouilly-Fumé. L’élevage de qualité a réussi à lui inculquer une belle classe, sans le priver de ses origines ni se montrer ostentatoire. 90 pts
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2/15/2009 - willmark wrote: 75 Points
15th Feb 2009: a great disappointment! the nose was very weak, no discernible flavour and the taste was very weak with no character at all. The regular Dog Point SB is way more crisp. The Section 94 does not deserve its premium price level.
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2/1/2009 - DemeesterWim wrote: 93 Points
Rather unconventional style of wine-making. Besides the freshness and full-body it has a excellent intensity and exploding aromas. Funky and sexy could be the perfect description here. Try with asian style of cooking, fruits de mer will do very bad. 9 finish
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9/2/2008 - jjclips2 wrote: 90 Points
Annual Gala (Casa Jay): While this is quite a bit more refined than the regular bottling with citrus peel, lemon verbeena, and clean acidity, it doesn't hold the value that the regular bottling does. Medium body, slight minerality, and a touch of an herbal streak.
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8/31/2008 - hutch wrote: 92 Points
Labor Day Weekend Get Together: I like NZ SB, and I liked this wine, but have a hard time seeing such lofty scores for it. Softer, rounder then the regular bottling, but with the tell tale NZ gooseberry notes of NZ SB. Must see a little time in barrel. Which means those who are looking for that bright lip smacking NZ slap of SB might be a little disapointed. This wine is coming out wearing stylish formal wear, and pulls it off. It's a beautiful wine. However, it's $40, and still NZ SB. For me, not my 1st choice if I'm picking out a $40 bottle of wine.
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