by Andrew Chalk
I would contend that there are no winemakers on earth who are more iconoclastic than those from New Zealand. Here’s the rationale: First, they take sauvignon blanc, a grape that has been grown for over two hundred years in France and one hundred years in the new World and grow and vinify it in a way that makes the resulting wine wholly distinct. Not to be content with that, they sell it (from the far side of the world to boot) at an everyday price. Most New Zealand sauvignon blancs sell for less than $20 in the USA.
It was not just any grape they took to perform this feat. It was one of the ephemeral “A-List”. Sauvignon blanc has established producers and consumer associations the world over. Nonetheless, the kiwi inventors and marketers managed to push their way through the crowd, elbows out, and establish a firm foothold in the US and major European markets.
This was not the end. Their follow up was New Zealand pinot noir, which is more recent on the world market, but establishing itself in a similar way. The jury is still out.
The Jules Taylor 2021 Sauvignon Blanc is a fine example of this New Zealand invention. Forward citrus nose, green apples, and white peach. High acid in the mouth underpins all those fruits. Fruit-driven finish.
Great with Indian food or quaffed on its own.
Sample.
