Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Sauvignon Blanc 2008

Light and tart, with a zip to the acidity that carries the vivid, celery-tinged gooseberry and lime flavors, lingering impressively on the sharply focused finish. Drink now.

Bracing aromas of lemon, lime, gooseberry and peppery fresh herbs. Dense and ripe on entry, then a bit dry-edged in the middle, and ultimately somewhat skinny for this wine. I wanted more sweetness of fruit.

Pale color. Smoky herbs, lime peel, rye bread and jalapeño pepper on the nose. Rich and expansive for New Zealand sauvignon, with citrus zest flavors complicated by a bracing peppery quality as well as a suggestion of passion fruit. Full and quite dry, with floral and mineral notes emerging. Finishes with refreshingly bitter-edged flavors of quinine, citrus pith and pepper. Offers a terrific combination of palate weight and grip.

Has a vegetal note that gets in the way of the otherwise lively fruit, offering green apple and nectarine with a shot of lime before the green pepper and cucumber character makes its presence felt. This was the better of three bottles. Drink now.

The 2007 Sauvignon Blanc suffered poor flowering: moderate intensity on the nose with scents of gooseberry, wild hedgerow and a touch of chalk, it reveals good sense of minerality after aeration, the palate well-balanced with kiwi fruit and ripe green apples, leading towards an understated finish. What one might call a "correct" Sauvignon Blanc.

Crisp, tart and fragrant, with very good intensity to grass, lime peel, grapefruit and sweet pea flavors. Sea salt and fresh herb undertones extend through the finish. Drink now. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.

This stylish white has more pizzazz than most. Crisp in texture, ripe in flavor, with passion fruit and pear flavors up front, picking up hints of mint, celery and grapefruit as the finish lingers. Drink now.