I really do not get along with Sauvignon blanc - oddly enough not even with the Loire examples that don't smell of the NZ stereotype. And though there are some rare perfectly drinkable and enjoyable examples, I'd still usually prefer a mediocre Muscadet to an "excellent" SB. But as a bit of a Loire fan and as one not always convinced by NZ wines, I do appreciate the irony that my all time favourite SB comes from Hawke's Bay NZ.
Supernatural Wine Co. "The Supernatural" Sauvignon Blanc 2014 - 14% abv; c.23€; Hawke's Bay, NZ; crown cork (yay!)
If the name doesn't warn you enough, the label says it all with its mystical thematics and even a picture of Rudolf Steiner. We're dealing with what James Randi would call woo: anti-scientific ideas used because the makers believe it makes better wine. Well I disagree with all that biodynamic nonsense and I suppose I really should dislike "natural" wines and especially "supernatural" ones because I disagree with the pseudo-science behind it. But the fact is that they are often amazing wines. This is no exception. But correlation does not necessarily imply causation and I've never been persuaded by attempts to explain this correlation through causation. There are other reasons than biodynamics to why I happen to like so many biodynamic wines.
Quite dark yellow. The smell is familiar from the better Sauvignons I've had with its chilli pepper sting - yet this goes well beyond those aromas and surrounds itself in an aura (oh damn! the mystic vocabulary is catching!) of something more interesting and substantial. It smells almost as if it had a touch of botrytis. It is tropical without seeming one-dimensional or just plain overripe and sugary. The palate is rich and concentrated, very fruity and substantial but not lacking in acidity. It is very moreish despite its size. Finishes clean and savoury.
I guess this is a genuinely three-dimensional wine whereas I find most SBs lacking in dimensions. Though I guess they identify with the "naturalist" movement, this is not a freaky, cidery example. It is recognizably the grape it is made from - it just builds up from that and makes it actually nice. So though I disagree with the "philosophy" behind such agriculture I can't help but love the wine.
) quantities.