2015 Cloudy Bay & Te Mata Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2015
In a world awash with, at best questionable Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand's Cloudy Bay continues, for me anyway, to be the bench mark. Big crisp lime and gooseberry intensity and delicious floral notes put it well and truly ahead of the chasing pack. The 2015 is one of my go to wines, simply for its amazing consistency, value for money ($35 to $40 AUD) and it blazing mouth filling brain busting flavour. Drink it with some pan seared scallops, root vegetable puree and some roast garlic salsa with aged balsamic on a lazy summers evening and you'll realise life doesn't get any better.
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc isn't a one trick pony though. Beyond Cloudy Bay there are delicious wines that are great value for money. One of those is the Te Mata Estate 2015 from Hawkes Bay region. It is a sensational wine at a great price, around $20 AUD. Crisp, lime, gooseberry flavours impress with a subtle and lingering palate. If Cloudy bay is Wagner, big bold and no holes bared then the Te Mata is perhaps more Vivadli-esque, subtle and lingering.
I pay for all my own wines and enjoy them accordingly!