Man O War Sauvignon Blanc 2007 (Waiheke Island, NZ)
$22, Screwcap

The Man O War setup is an interesting one. Set on the wild Eastern edge of Waiheke Island, the vineyard is actually a series of vineyards, each with different aspects & mini terroirs – its a beautiful part of the world. The first wines I tried from this vineyard where the absurdly good Ironcald Cab Merlot and the Dreadnought Syrah, both from the 2007 vintage and both setting the bar very high.

This Sauvignon Blanc though is more of an entry level wine at a very typical price. Personally I’m still not really sure that straight Savvy is the ideal varietal style for the region however and this wine didn’t help. Opening up with a light straw yellow colour, the nose is finely nutty with an edge of mushy peas – Certainly a far cry from the more overtly aromatic Savvy style of its Southern cousins, with more than a passing resemblance to Aussie SSB. The palate on this one though is just a bit weird; the nutty, almost gritty, smooshed green pea characters sitting low and awkwardly, finishing with a sense of chewy greenness that doesnt work very well at all.

So count this as a cross from me – it just doesn’t taste all that good. Maybe some Sem would help? 15.9