The Loveblock Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023 is a wine I found selling for about $15. It is from Kim Crawford, yes, that Kim Crawford.
The Story
The Loveblock Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023 typically scores 90+ points from wine reviewers.
Kim and Erica Crawford, she handles the vineyard, he does the winemaking, sold Kim Crawford wines in 2003. The brand is going strong without them. I have read that it was a virtual winery, which usually means they contract grapes from vineyards and lease winemaking space in existing wineries.
Loveblock (founded in 2006) is a real winery with sustainably farmed estate vineyards and a state-of-the-art winery.
I often write that Sauvignon Blanc is fairly quick and easy to produce, and most value-priced SBs follow the same formula, but not Loveblock.
The grapes came from their Estate certified organic vineyard, Woolshed, in Dashwood. district of the Awatere Valley in New Zealand’s South Island.
2023 was an excellent vintage, and the grapes were picked and fermented in small batches using a variety of containers. They used concrete eggs, amphorae, and neutral French oak barrels, with a portion going to the typical stainless steel tanks.
Wild natural yeast was used instead of commercial yeasts. It is thought that the yeast that is natural to the vineyard is the one best suited to the grapes.
About 50% of the juice underwent malolactic fermentation, which is a process used with Chardonnay and most Red wines. It changes the natural tart acid in the grapes to a more rounded acid.
The alcohol content 13.5%.
The Loveblock Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023 Tasting Notes
The color is a soft, pale wheat yellow. The nose is honey, melon, and lemon, followed by tropical fruit, peach, and a full floral edge. The Loveblock Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023 is balanced, nuanced, and delicious.
This Sauvignon Blanc tastes like apple, pear, lemon curd, grapefruit, and soft spice. Followed by nectarine. coconut milk, and dried pineapple.
The acidity is balanced, and this wine has good length.
The Summary
- The Loveblock Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023 is an excellent wine.
- It is a couple of bucks more than the entry-level New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but worth the price.
- Well-made, balanced, good length, and tastes great.
