Giesen Vineyard Selection Sauvignon Blanc

Giesen Vineyard Selection Sauvignon Blanc pulls fruit from the Wairau and Awatere Valleys for a generous, classic take on Marlborough's signature style. The 2023/24 growing season turned properly dry - Marlborough was officially in drought by March - but a wet winter beforehand and a near-perfect autumn harvest meant smaller yields came through with real concentration and purity. Expect bright tropical fruit and citrus with that just-picked herb lift Marlborough does so well, balanced by a touch of natural sweetness against classic, zingy acidity. Individual parcels are fermented separately before blending, which helps build texture rather than relying on pure zip. Good with a Thai curry, or really, most weeknights.

What the winery says:

Vineyard Selection Sauvignon Blanc draws fruit from Marlborough's Wairau and Awatere Valleys. The 2023/24 season was El Niño-driven and dry, with Marlborough officially in drought by mid-March, though a very wet winter beforehand had set the vines up well; intermittent frosts around flowering in late October trimmed yields further, and a near-perfect autumn harvest delivered fruit with excellent concentration and purity. In the winery, the focus is on vineyard expression and varietal clarity: after gentle extraction, individual parcels are fermented separately with selected yeasts chosen to build texture, weight and aromatics, then blended for a generous, fruit-forward style balanced between subtle natural sweetness and classic Marlborough acidity. It comes in at 13% ABV, pH 3.2, TA 7.0g/L and residual sugar of 3.3g/L, and Giesen suggests pairing it with a Thai green chicken curry and fresh coriander.