Purple Palate

Greystone has a reputation for reconsidering New Zealand's famous varietals, and its Sauvignon Blanc is a terrific example of this philosophy. The shell-riddled soils in Waipara Valley produce a wickedly mineral wine, with elegence, energy and a vanishing-act finish of drying soda. The 2010 mingles typical tropical aromas with slatey aspects of grapefruit, feint, apple sherbert and powdery lime. The acidity is well balanced, inducing saliva and inviting food. A hint of stirring on oak has encouraged a prickly sorbet texture in this, one of the more complex takes on NZ Sauvignon Blanc. -NT