Fresh And Grassy: NZ Sauvignon Blanc

Wines often seem to be named after someone, or something, and here's another one,  The Catalina Sounds Sauvignon Blanc is the namesake of the WWII warbird PBY-5A Catalina amphibious flying boat.  There's reportedly only one left in the Southern Hemisphere, and there's a group dedicated to its preservation.  This wine draws attention to it as well.

The 2016 vintage, sourced from Marlborough's southern valleys, is winemaker Peter Jackson's attempt to make a wine that shows the best of the sites from which it comes.

It’s 100% Marlborough, with about 50% of the grapes taken from the winery's own Sound of White Vineyard in the Waihopai Valley.  The balance came from other well-loved grower blocks in Fairhall, Rapaura and Spring Creek.

Vinified in steel, the Catalina Sounds SauvBlanc hits only 13% abv and it sells online for about 14 bucks.

This is an amazingly fresh wine, with enough grassy aromas to qualify as a bona fide New Zealand SauvBlanc and set it apart from those of California or the Loire Valley.  In addition to the herbal notes, there's a boatload of citrus and wet rocks.  In the mouth, the acidity zips, but doesn't rip.  Lemons, orange zest, and a bit of lime combine for a mineral-laden trip down Sauvignon Lane.  The wine goes down easily, but offers enough acidity to make it food friendly.

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