The Matua Sauvignon Blanc 2012 is sourced from multiple vineyards thru-out the Marlborough region on the South Island of New Zealand. Matua translates to “head of the family” in the Māori language and the winery was founded by Bill and Ross Spence. They planted the first Sauvignon Blanc vines in New Zealand in 1969 and in 1974 produced New Zealand’s first bottle of Sauvignon Blanc wine. In the 41 years since then New Zealand can very well lay claim to be the Sauvignon Blanc capital of the world. This is the Matua entry-level Sauv Blanc, they have full line of wines from all regions of New Zealand. The Matua is a young, fresh, crisp wine, a “drink it now” wine, not made to be aged, the current vintage is 2014, but 2012 was an outstanding year for NZ wine and it still shows well. This Sauvignon Blanc was fermented and aged in stainless steel vats and the alcohol content is 13%.
The color is a very pale wheat yellow. The nose is classic Sauvignon Blanc, tropical fruit and pungent flowers. This is a light, crisp, tart Sauv Blanc. It tastes of grapefruit, apricots, green apple and lemon. The mid-palate adds tart lime and Anjou pear. The acidity is balanced, it will work well with food, but does not interfere with sipping pleasure. The finish lingers for a very respectable amount of time.
The Matua Sauvignon Blanc 2012 is a wonderful warm weather White wine, the aromas give you visions of tropical islands and the flavors are clean and refreshing. The Matua should be found in the $10 range and is a solid example of what New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is about. At ten bucks it is a very nice wine, well-balanced, with an appealing array of flavors and a dry, crisp edge that keeps you reaching for another sip.
