94 Points - Robert Parker - Erin Larkin
The 2023 Grande Sauvignon is a richer, riper style of Sauvignon Blanc than the Alpine Rift wine tasted alongside. Here, the fruit is lower-yielding and handpicked and offers yellow peach, layers of saffron, orange oil and caper brine. The wine is matured in old puncheons and hogsheads for 15 months, and this has really opened the texture of the wine. It is full and round yet speared through the heart by the mouthwatering Marlborough acid line. It's silky, sleek and polished, with brilliant concentration of flavor. The tension through the middle palate and finish holds this wine in very good stead.
91 points - James Suckling
Some pleasant grass, lemons and light grilled-asparagus character deliver a medium-bodied white of interest and taste. Fruity and yummy at the end with some tangy acidity. Drink now. Screw cap
90 Points – Rebecca Gibb MW, VINOUS
Not your average Marlborough expression, the 2023 Grande Sauvignon offers an intriguing array of aromatics that’s all blackcurrant leaf, sage, green capsicum and lemongrass. Wild fermented in French oak puncheons, this is lively, lithe and linear. While time on lees has brought texture to the palate, the firm line of acidity that runs through the 2023 is undeniable and leaves the mouth watering.
GOLD Medal, U.K. Drinks Business Global Sauvignon Blanc Masters 2024
The Marlborist Grande Sauvignon boldly steps away from the classic Marlborough style. Low yielding, hand-picked and wild fermented in French oak puncheons, this rich, complex wine breaks every rule in the book.
TASTING NOTE
Not one bound by convention, The Marlborist Grande Sauvignon is a bold departure from the classic Marlborough style. Fermented entirely with naturally occurring yeast in a mixture of old French oak barrels and puncheons, it is an alternative style of sauvignon blanc with an alluring array of grilled peach, candied pineapple and brioche with hints of elderflower and almond. This is a moreish wine with a rich, creamy palate underpinned by a long, citrus finish.
VITICULTURE
Fruit was sourced three exceptional sites within the Southern Valleys and Renwick. Largely grown on Loess clay soils and river terraces where young, alluvial soils overlay deep deposits of greywacke stone, the combination of free-draining soils and naturally low yields allowed the vines to ripen small, golden bunches of intensely flavoured fruit.
WINEMAKING
A combination of machine and hand-picked fruit was harvested over a week-long period beginning late March. The grapes were transported directly to the winery where they were gently pressed and cold settled for three days. The juice was racked to a mixture of old French oak barrels and puncheons and left to spontaneously ferment by indigenous, ‘wild’ yeast, a process that took several months to complete.
Occasional lees stirring and partial malolactic fermentation occurred over a 15 month period of maturation in French oak before the blend was assembled and settled prior to bottling in July.
