Smith & Sheth Marlborough Wairau Cru Sauvignon Blanc 2022

	Selected by Master of Wine Steve Smith
	From grapes from old vines in the Wairau sub-region
	Ripe and intense, but also with lovely freshness and tension

Description

Smith & Sheth are no ordinary duo. Steve Smith is a major figure in the New Zealand wine world: he's a vineyard owner, one of New Zealand's few Masters of Wine, and the founder of the renowned Craggy Range winery. Texan Brian Sheth is an investor and conservationist.

What unites the two is a deep love for New Zealand and—you guessed it—wine. Their shared dream was to craft wines from New Zealand's finest terroirs. And so, the impressive Cru series was born.



The grapes for Sauvignon Blanc are harvested from the duo of old vines in Wairau, the Marlborough subregion considered the historic heart of this renowned wine region. The gravelly soils near Renwick, by retaining heat, produce wines with an intense and ripe character. Thanks to the vineyard's mature age, yields are low and the grapes concentrated.

Once harvested at optimum ripeness, a simple vinification process follows: the grapes are destemmed, crushed, gently pressed, and fermented in 75% stainless steel tanks and 25% large, used oak barrels. The result is a magnificent Sauvignon Blanc that is undoubtedly among New Zealand's finest.

Drinking at

A fragrant, crisp, dry white wine perfect as an aperitif or with light dishes. It pairs beautifully with seafood salads, pan-fried plaice with pea puree, or soft (goat) cheeses.

Tasting note

A complex dry white wine with expressive aromas of lime, passion fruit, Granny Smith, and elderflower. The palate is pure fruit, intensely juicy, and layered with refreshing grapefruit acidity in the long, refined finish.

Shelf life

Beautiful now; will keep for at least 7 years from harvest date.