Ata Rangi 2008 Sauvignon Blanc
Appellation: Martinborough
Alc: 13.5%
Price: $14-$20
Haydn gives it: 92pts
You can buy this wine at: K&L Importers

I was thrilled to discover this wine sitting unannounced on one of the shelves of a wine store. There it was, in a nonchalant style resting it’s head on one of the wooden racks. Either the store employee had no idea what they had in stock (probably the case, no pun intended) or they knew what it was and played it cool. Either way, the Ata Rangi 2008 is truly a gem. It’s one of the top wineries in the Martinborough region (no, not Marlborough), if not one of the top 10 in New Zealand.

On the nose , the wine displays it’s trademark Kiwi styles with a bit of lemon and grapefruit. There is a shallow tartness in play, though it starts to alter a bit on the mid palate, with a bit of pear in the middle. It’s soft and flavorful. At the end, a beautiful finish plays out by brining back a bit of the grapefruit.

The wine is balanced from beginning to end. The secret to this wine I feel comes in the fermenting process. 90% touched only stainless steel, but the remaining 10% sat in 3-year neutral oak barrels. That small amount of oak is enough to round out what could have been a lawn full of grass in your glass.

I originally purchased this wine for $20. However, after returning a week later, it was nowhere to be found. After calling around, I tracked the wine down at K&L in San Francisco. It is currently sitting in their Hollywood warehouse, at a price of $14.99. Wow. Now the only question remains, do I buy a half or an entire case?

Cheers,
Haydn

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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 (and at times, Napa Valley) looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com.

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

You mean to tell me there is another wine producing region of New Zealand that ends in “borough” and is not Marlborough? Holy toledo Batman. How can this be?

I really have been trying to add some Batman reference into this blog for a while. Apparently I succeeded. Ok, now on to Martinborough. Martinborough is located about an hour north-east of Wellington, and some 150 miles from Marlborough (though you’ll have to travel by ferry to get to either as they are literally on opposite islands). It is not the most well-known regions in New Zealand, but some of the stronger wines, such as Ata Rangi, come out of this little area.

The region got it’s start in 1978 when three different grapes: Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Gewurztraminer were planted. Soon after the year, they discovered that the soil and terrior had similar characteristics to some of the premier wine regions in France. And thus a few wineries began to spring from the ground and the wine rush was on. Just like with the 49ers of California, these wine makers were as green as they made them. Yet, learning from mistakes, their quality grew and grew into what it is today.

Today, over 40 wineries dot the landscape of Martinborough. The town itself is quite charming with the townspeople quite the same. I’ve only had the chance to spend a day in Martinborough, but it was a day I won’t soon forget. It was very enjoyable to literally be able to walk from our bed and breakfast right over to some of the wineries. The buildings on the grounds of the vineyards could have easily been mistaken for residences, had it not been for the “hours of operation” signs.

It was also enjoyable in the fact that it was quiet with no hint or sound of any tour bus. Just a few cars dotting the various streets and passerby’s on foot. If you are heading to New Zealand, I would recommending stopping for at least a day in Martinborough. The slower speed will rejuvenate you and the exceptional wine will make you keep coming back.

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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