Haythornthwaite 2006 Sauvignon Blanc Sarah
by Haydn S. Ad ams | Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog

Appellation: Martinborough, New Zealand
ALC: 12.5%
You can buy this wine at: haythornthwaite.co.nz/
Retail price: N/A
Haydn gives it : 92pts

I can still remember that afternoon I stepped into the tasting room of Hythronthwaite, a quiet little winery in the town of Martinsborough (no, you read correctly, that’s not Marlborough). We picked the winery because it was one of the few that was open past 5 o’clock in the afternoon. For more information on Martinborough, see “Martinborough, the other “borough” of New Zealand.

The winery was lightly populated with me, my Dad, and two staff members. We went through the few wines that were still opened. And while the region is know for their excellent Pinot Noirs, it was the Sauvignon Blanc, “Sarah” that won me over.

What I liked the best about this wine, aside from the exquisite taste, was that the winery felt more like a home than a winery. To further drive home the, well, homey feel of the winery, each bottle is given it’s own “name”. The Sauvignon Blanc was given the name, Sarah, after the winemaker’s sister, who drank Sauvignon Blanc while living in Seattle to remind her of New Zealand.

One whiff and taste of this wine will instantly clue you into the fact that you are drinking wine made by the kiwis. The traditional lemon/lime and grass components were evident from the first sip. Yet it wasn’t as acidic as some of the other wines I’ve tried from the islands. While some will have a sharp bite, this wine is smooth and doesn’t pack too much of a power punch.

I was drinking this by itself and it held up nicely. As noted in other posts, you can easily pair a Sauvignon Blanc with mostly any fish, with the exception of Salmon. For the salmon, go with a Grenache or a Chenin Blanc.

Here’s the bad news, Americans. As far as I can tell you can only get this wine at the winery or in the surrounding towns. I had to carry this wine back in my suitcase in order to get this gem back into the states.

That being said, this wine speaks volumes in terms of the quality of wines coming out of this small wine region in New Zealand.

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com

Tags: Martinborough, New Zealand, Sauvignon Blanc

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