2023 Earthsong Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand 750 ml

Masters of Wine Fergal Tynan and Giles Cooke built South Australia’s Thistledown into a superstar winery in just over a decade. Their secret? They look for the oldest vines in the greatest terroirs, then get the hell out of the way.

For their New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, the pair made a beeline for Dillons Point in Marlborough—just three miles from the crisp nighttime air of Cloudy Bay. They knew that the dirt here was magic: These fertile, alluvial soils lead to sky-high thiol levels in old-vine Sauvignon Blanc, which make for staggering tropical-fruit flavors. 

Their instincts could not have been more spot-on in the 2023 vintage. With tropical and citrus fruit popping from the glass and a Chablis-like elegance, their ‘23 Sauvignon Blanc Dillons Point delivers on the promise of the vineyard, and of their remarkable talent. 

Earthsong’s regeneratively farmed vineyard is in fact closer to Te Koko-o-Kupe (Cloudy Bay) than Cloudy Bay Vineyards itself—it’s just three miles from the water. Great drainage and bracingly cold nights make Dillons Point optimal for Sauvignon Blanc, which is why it’s home to some of the oldest vineyards in Marlborough.

Tynana and Cooke, two old hands of the British wine trade, have used their incredible connections and vineyard acumen to make South Australia’s Thistledown a phenomenon. They chose this foggy corner of Marlborough to craft their first wine in New Zealand. If this 2023 wine is any indication, you’re going to be hearing a lot more about Earthsong in coming years.