Sauvignon blanc now makes up more than 70% of all wine produced in New Zealand. But is it still the best in the world?<\/p>\n
\n New Zealand sauvignon exploded on to the world\u2019s wine scene in the excessive 80s in a riot of flamboyant herbs, neon lime and vivid passionfruit. No
\n one had tasted anything quite like it, with this style from Marlborough literally going on to launch the country\u2019s modern wine industry. Fast forward four decades and things have become more complex and subtle, both in perceptions of our flagship variety and the examples the country is capable of making.\n <\/p>\n
Sauvignon blanc holds pole position as a variety in New Zealand in a way not seen in any other winemaking nation. It\u2019s the country\u2019s most widely planted variety, of which three-quarters is grown in Marlborough. It currently accounts for more than 70% of the wine made in the country and 85% of all New Zealand wine exported. While New Zealand\u2019s wine exports have been sluggish, sauvignon has remained more stable than varieties such as pinot noir.<\/p>\n
Sauvignon\u2019s success story has received international endorsement through investment from names synonymous with quality: for example, Edmond de Rothschild \u2013 best known for its Bordeaux Chateaux \u2013 which bought a Marlborough vineyard in 2012. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat investment was based on a strong attraction for the New Zealand sauvignon blanc they were tasting,\u201d notes Anne Escalle, who heads up its New Zealand operation. \u201cThe fact that Edmond de Rothschild Heritage, a company with French vineyards, invested in a NZ sauvignon blanc vineyard, says a lot about the worldwide potential they see in our region.\u201d <\/p>\n
Sophie Parker-Thomson, master of wine and co-proprietor of Blank Canvas Wines, says consumers want authenticity.<\/p>\n
Quality concerns <\/p>\n
There are signs, however, that sauvignon might be starting to lose some of its shine. A focus on a single highly aromatic and fruity style has led to criticisms that this has stifled diversity and experimentation in Marlborough sauvignon, resulting in predictable and formulaic examples. These are not the wines that I reach for.<\/p>\n
Winemakers report that New Zealand sauvignon blanc is no longer such an easy sell. However, if there is sauvignon fatigue, this appears to be with \u201cgeneric\u201d sauvignon blanc.<\/p>\n
\u201cConsumers are increasingly discerning; they want authenticity and provenance, not anonymous, monotonous white wine,\u201d says master of wine and co-proprietor of Blank Canvas Wines Sophie Parker-Thomson.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s currently a tale of two sauvignons.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom my vantage point, the quality has never been higher, but paradoxically, it has also never been lower,\u201d Parker-Thomson notes.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the top end, we\u2019re seeing some of the most precise, site-driven, texturally sophisticated sauvignon blanc ever made in New Zealand. Yet at the same time, the growth of bulk shipping, foreign bottling, and volume-first models has widened the gap between the best and the most commoditised expressions.\u201d<\/p>\n
She, with a growing number of quality-focused Marlborough producers, considers this divergence a major threat to Marlborough sauvignon\u2019s reputation, as less authentic wines trade on their name.<\/p>\n
This spurred the establishment of Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW) in 2018, which now boasts 50 members. The AMW Trust Mark guarantees a wine contains 100% Marlborough-grown sustainably certified grapes, was bottled in New Zealand, and has passed an independent quality tasting.<\/p>\n
This is especially pertinent for sauvignon at present, after a bumper crop in 2025, combined with a declining global wine market and economic pressures. It was a comparable situation in 2008 and 2009, where New Zealand narrowly missed being tarnished by a \u201csauvalanche\u201d of unexciting bulk sauvignon hitting the likes of Britain\u2019s supermarket shelves. <\/p>\n
Dr Jo Burzynska. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n
Growing diversity <\/p>\n
Now for the flipside. I agree that New Zealand sauvignons are scaling new heights in quality and diversity. One of the most exciting movements in Marlborough has been the exploration of its subregions, which see the region offering more than the powerfully pungent styles of its original Central Wairau heartland. You can check these out on the new interactive vineyard map<\/a> created by the Marlborough Map Collective to highlight the diverse profiles of the subregions.<\/p>\n \u201cThe subregions within Marlborough have a profound effect on the style of the wine, and we find many wine drinkers will absolutely have a favourite region to suit their palate,\u201d says Astrolabe\u2019s Simon Waghorn, a passionate subregional advocate and sauvignon pioneer in the southern K\u0113kereng\u016b Coast. <\/p>\n \u201cSourcing fruit from diverse regions of Marlborough is also important to our Marlborough blend, as it brings complexity and interest to the style, with each region contributing a different layer: from the lighter, more linear, salty wines coming from the limestone soils of the Southern Coast; the fresh, savoury, green-spectrum fruit flavours of the Awatere valley; to the richer more tropical fruit of the Wairau.\u201d<\/p>\n Alternative takes <\/p>\n It\u2019s not just Marlborough that\u2019s making excellent sauvignon. More restrained examples are evident in Nelson; taut and linear expressions hail from Central Otago, and there are some great textural examples from North Canterbury.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Waipara Valley has the potential to make very complex styles of sauvignon blanc given our comparatively low crop levels, and long hang time that allows for plenty of flavour development,\u201d Ed Donaldson of Pegasus Bay notes of North Canterbury\u2019s promise. Pegasus Bay, which recently added a stand-alone sauvignon to its wines, has been experimenting with techniques such as whole-bunch fermentation, which imparts different flavours, and longer time spent on skins for texture.<\/p>\n Techniques such as these, which are not part of the traditional Marlborough recipe, are now being more widely explored. Coupled with a finer focus on individual sauvignon sites, the result is more distinctive expressions and alternative styles that are expanding the spectrum of our sauvignons. This new wave of sauvignon is exemplified by relative newcomers such as A Thousand Gods.<\/p>\n Lauren Keenan and Simon Sharpe of A Thousand Gods are making some of the most compelling new-wave examples. Their focus is on making wines from the biodynamic Churton vineyard with no additions, resulting in riper, less greenly pungent profiles. They craft two distinct sauvignon blancs: the taut and linear \u201cBlanc\u201d, made with minimal time on its skins and aged in old oak, and the softer, more exotically fruited \u201cGiara\u201d, fermented and then aged for a long period on skin in porous clay amphorae.<\/p>\n \u201cThe two wines are made from the same grape and the same vineyard block but are very different wines,\u201d says Sharpe, \u201cwhich illustrates to what extent winemaking choices can influence wine style.\u201d<\/p>\n German-born Kat Jankowiec, with her Katalyst brand, is another fresh voice in Marlborough sauvignon blanc, aiming to challenge perceptions and demonstrate the variety\u2019s untapped potential. She deliberately chose sauvignon blanc for her first release (now sold out), not to compete with the region\u2019s exuberant, aromatic styles, but to ask, \u201cWhat else can it be?<\/p>\n \u201cAs the region has matured, so has the conversation,\u201d Jankowiec explains. \u201cThe exploration of single sites, soils, and microclimates marked an important step in Marlborough\u2019s journey, helping us understand how sauvignon responds to place.<\/p>\n \u201cAlongside that came a gradual emergence of alternative expressions, wines that leaned less on aromatic exuberance and immediacy, and more on nuance, structure, and longevity. This is where Katalyst fits.\u201d<\/p>\n Ageability is adding a further dimension to New Zealand sauvignon blanc. At a recent tasting highlighting the evolution of the variety, I tried an impressive lineup of examples from 2015, which tasted incredibly fresh, rich and complex; and these were not all examples that had been fermented and aged in oak, as one might expect. Wineries such as Astrolabe are increasingly showcasing these older bottles.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have started to release library wines for the first time in our cellar door, going back to 2008,\u201d says Astrolabe\u2019s Arabella Waghorn, \u201cand these have been very popular, with many drinkers preferring the complexity and roundness that comes with bottle age.\u201d<\/p>\n But is it still the best in the world?<\/p>\n When commissioned to write this update on our most important grape, I was asked by my editor to investigate whether New Zealand sauvignon blanc is still the best in the world. I keep abreast with elegant flinty examples from the Loire, and richer blends from Bordeaux, as well as the cooler climate expressions from Chile and South Africa, and am convinced that our best remain up there with top examples from around the globe.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t just take my word for it. UK-based masters of wine Peter Richards and Susie Barrie have just announced their New Zealand Wines of the Year 2026. I caught up with Richards who, from the other side of the world, enthused about New Zealand sauvignon\u2019s recognisability, diversity, quality and value for money.<\/p>\n \u201cSo yes, absolutely, unquestionably, definitely New Zealand sauvignon blanc is the best in the world,\u201d Richards asserts.<\/p>\n \u201cIt continues to set the standards and expectations with this protean grape variety that we\u2019re only just starting to get to know.<\/p>\n \u201cIgnore the naysayers and sniping critics. This is a rare wine category that offers visceral joy, as well as intellectual satisfaction. Anyone missing out \u2026 is missing out. Just sit back and enjoy the Kiwi savvy ride.\u201d<\/p>\n New Zealand sauvignon blanc recommendations<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve been suffering from sauvignon blanc fatigue, I vouch that at least one of this varied bunch will invigorate your appetite for the variety once more.<\/p>\n Alternative expression: A Thousand Gods Giara Waihopai Marlborough 2024<\/p>\n A Thousand Gods coax something incredibly distinctive from sauvignon in this organic, zero-additive subregional single vineyard expression. There\u2019s both intensity and restraint in this amphora-fermented wine. It\u2019s richly textured with ripe and fresh greengage fruit and an edge of lemon bitters, hints of chamomile florals, anise, mineral salts and a touch of spice.<\/p>\n Oak influenced: Edmond de Rothschild Rimapere Plot 101 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023<\/p>\n If you were less enthused by New Zealand\u2019s early fume styles, it\u2019s worth trying the contemporary wave of oaked sauvignons. This impressive example was fermented part in French oak, part in-tank, harnessing wild yeasts and spending almost a year ageing on its yeast lees before bottling. The result is a powerful style where oak adds texture rather than flavour to its palate, reminiscent of white Bordeaux, with its wild herbs and flowers, smoke and flint, attractive savoury dimension and punchy limey acid line.<\/p>\n $45 from Glengarry, Liquorlegends.co.nz<\/a> (North Shore & East Tamaki); and selected Liquorland stores<\/p>\n Subregional diversity: Yealands S1 Single Block Awatere Valley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2025<\/p>\n Marlborough\u2019s Southern Awatere Valley has a dry, windy climate that makes for more austere styles of sauvignon. This elegant example from a single block is subtly perfumed with wafts of white florals and green herbs, mandarin fruit, notes of oyster shell and a briny minerality from this coastal site.<\/p>\n Beyond Marlborough: Pegasus Bay Whole Bunch Ferment Waipara Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2024<\/p>\n Made from 35-year-old vines planted at a site on Waipara\u2019s Glasnevin Gravels, with some of the coolest nights in the region for freshness and flavour. With a fruit spectrum that ranges from green apple to tropical and grassy notes, its weight and concentration are lifted by its bright acid mineral line. Proof that great sauvignon doesn\u2019t have to hail from Marlborough.<\/p>\nEd Donaldson of Pegasus Bay wines.<\/p>\n
Lauren Keenan and Simon Sharpe of A Thousand Gods winery.<\/p>\n
Kat Jankowiec is another fresh voice in Marlborough sauvignon blanc.<\/p>\n
UK-based masters of wine Susie Barrie and Peter Richards. Photo \/ Husk<\/p>\n
New Zealand sauvignon blanc recommendations from Dr Jo Burzynska.<\/p>\n
New Zealand sauvignon blanc recommendations from Dr Jo Burzynska.<\/p>\n