2014 Trinity Hill Sauvignon Blanc Hawke's Bay 750 ml

Kiwi Sauv Blanc with a “Gin and Tonic” Freshness

There are critics you can count on to be effusive with their praise and generous with their scores, even for marginal wines. Stephen Tanzer is not one of them. The founder of the International Wine Cellar has always been a straight shooter, and his stingy scores are legendary. So when Tanzer is impressed, we pay attention. And when Tanzer awards 90 points to an under-$15 Sauvignon Blanc, let alone from one of New Zealand’s finest regions? We stop what we’re doing and snap to attention.

The lion’s share of New Zealand’s Sauvignon Blanc plantings — roughly 50,000 acres — are situated in the Marlborough region on the South Island, where many of the vineyards carry as much as 10 tons of fruit per acre into harvest. By contrast, on the North Island, specifically Hawkes Bay — New Zealand’s oldest wine region — there are less than 2,000 acres of vineyard land planted to Sauvignon Blanc. Much of which is meticulously farmed to just 3 tons per acre. Here the Sauvignon Blanc is brighter, more fruit-driven, and more mineral. In the case of the superb 2014 vintage, it’s as if Sancerre was transported to the land of the Kiwi.

The 2014 growing season was fantastic in Hawkes Bay. Winter was mild, making for an early bud break. November and December, typically fairly cool months, were warm and dry. January, while dry, was cool, but in February, once again, Nature turned on the heat lamp.

2014 was a watershed vintage for Trinity Hill. This vintage’s bottling was sourced from three carefully selected sites: Raukawa, Porongahau, and Mangatahi vineyards, where the soils are all free-draining with low fertility, and the vines benefit from prevailing hot, dry westerly winds. These high-altitude, low-vigor sites allow the time needed for the grapes to develop nuanced and complex flavor profiles without stacking up high alcohol content.

Stephen Tanzer was floored with the quality of the 2014 Trinity Hill, calling it “sexy” and “fresh and savory.” He likened the refreshing quality of the wine to a gin and tonic on the rocks. We love that comparison — and fully agree. But we’d add that Trinity Hill is the closest New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc you can get to match the tension and mineral quality of a Sancerre.

Tanzer’s top QPR (Quality/Price Ratio) among 2014’s Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, now up for grabs. 400 cases made it stateside, 100 of which are earmarked for WineAccess. Only $13.99. Shipping included on 6 bottles. A MUST-CASE-BUY for bargain-hunters, but lovers of crisp whites for all occasions will want to stock their cellars with two cases at this WineAccess-only price.