Last summer I praised New Zealand’s Cloudy Bay, still a good value in the $30s. Today let’s delight in an even better value, a $20-something NZ treat.
As we’ve discussed before, the style of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc can be controversial among wine lovers. Some love it for its bold, aromatic character, a rich mix of green chile pepper and citrus that grabs your attention as soon as you get close to the glass. Then you take a taste, and this olfactory blast segues into a rich texture framed by palate-curling acidity. For those looking for subtlety and elegance in a wine, all this can simply feel like too much.
How did the New Zealand take on Sauvignon Blanc turn out to be so different from the classic elegance of Sauvignons like Sancerre from the Loire in France? The marketplace plays a role in that, thanks largely to Cloudy Bay going viral in the ’90s and turning public attention to New Zealand’s other producers as well.
But climate came first. Sauvignon Blanc is notably responsive to temperature and sunlight. New Zealand’s primary Sauvignon zones – Marlborough, home of Cloudy Bay, and Martinborough, source of today’s Craggy Range – are significantly cooler and far more sun-baked than France’s Loire Valley. The climate differences play out in distinctly different flavor profiles, and market forces likely inspire winemakers to accentuate that.
Craggy Range, a family-owned New Zealand winery established in 1998, grows its Sauvignon Blanc in the lower terrace of Martinborough’s sustainably farmed Te Muna Road Vineyard, which enjoys a cool, coastal climate with warm, dry summers and mild winters that, the winery says, yield complex and structured wines with subtle aromatics and an elegant finish.
–Image from Craggy Range’s Sustainable Practices info page.
I won’t say that today’s featured wine, Craggy Range 2023 Te Muna Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc, falls midway between New Zealand and France. Its Kiwi character shines clearly in its bold jalapeño and pink-grapefruit flavors.
Still, its judicious use of French oak as a subtle spice, its steely minerality, delicate balance, and modest 12.5% alcohol level confer an elegance and grace that New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc isn’t always known for. And its price tag in the lower $20s at most U.S. vendors knocks one-third off the typical $30-plus tab for Cloudy Bay.
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