Stoneleigh Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough Nz 2009

Bright and jazzy, this is light on balance but still zingy, offering pear, pineapple and lime flavors that don't quit. Drink now.

Pale, bright yellow. Juicy, lemony nose. penetrating but not hard, with good citrus intensity complicated by a hint of melon. Not particularly complex but finishes firm and juicy.

This crisp white brims with rich layers of fruit, offering grapefruit, pear and apple flavors in abundance. Finishes with a deft balance of softness and lacy acidity. Drink now.

Although this wine's aromas verge on vegetal, hinting at tomato leaf and celery stalk, the flavors are nicely ripe and citrusy, featuring grapefruit, lime and lemongrass. The wine is round in the mouth and nicely textured, with a long, nectarine-tinged finish. Drink now.

Standard stuff, with passion fruit and green pepper aromas, tropical and citrus fruit flavors and a crisp. jalapeno-accented finish. Clean and well made, a solid introduction to the Marlborough style.

Fat with gooseberry and passion fruit flavors, this wine has plenty of acidity to keep it fresh. The flavors last with intensity. For roast scallops.

The Stoneleigh vineyard in Marlborough, New Zealand is a very unique place. It’s the site of an ancient river bed and so the soil is not so much earth as it is stones with bits of dirt around them. It’s a very inhospitable piece of land for growing anything, which is of course what makes it ideal for wine grapes. The vines struggle for moisture and nutrients, sending their roots down deep. This creates low yields and more complex flavors. Meanwhile the stones absorb sunlight all day long and reflect heat back on the vines at night tempering the very cool night air and letting grapes achieve ideal ripeness. The result is Sauvignon Blanc with full flavors and nuances. Ferment in stainless steel and only lightly fined for intense fruit and mineral flavors. It scored 90 points from the Wine Spectator who said “Bright and jazzy, this is light on balance but still zingy, offering pear, pineapple and lime flavors that don't quit. Drink now.”