Bladen, Sauvignon Blanc, 2022

This superb Sauvignon Blanc has aromas of gooseberry, grapefruit, nettle and some floral hints. These give way to a plentifully fruited palate with mineral hints, grapefruit zest and herbal notes. It is generous and has finely balanced, zesty acidity and a long clean finish. It's not overblown but most certainly not lacking in power either.

From early morning harvesting to stainless steel fermentation, every stage of this wine's expert production ensures it has the hallmark of Marlborough running through it like Blackpool Rock. It was over 28 years ago when Dave and Christine MacDonald planted their first vineyard over in Marlborough.

Today, their winery is one of the top producers in the Marlborough region. Back in 1989, when the MacDonalds established their Conders Bend vineyard, there were fewer than ten wineries in the area. Now, there are more Marlborough producers than you can shake a stick at but Bladen’s benefits from having had the pick of the land at the outset. Their mature vines result in wines that are a joy to taste and drink, with some worthy of inclusion in any cellar. This includes their flagship bottle, the flavoursome Bladen Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, made from grapes grown in ideal silty loam soils. When ripe, these were machine harvested in the early morning so the crop could be brought into the winery before temperatures became too high however a small proportion is hand picked and fermented separately, later added to the blend.

With the expansion of the Marlborough vineyards a decade or so ago, many of the wines have become dilute and a shadow of what they should be. Dave and Chris now have mature vines which give the finest of fruit allowing them to make the very finest of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

• ❖ ABV: 13%