Crowded House Sauvignon Blanc 2016 Wine Review

We received the product for review and all opinions are our own.

The Crowded House 2016 Sauvignon Blanc is a fine example of what the world has come to enjoy about the wines of Marlborough, New Zealand. Marlborough is located on the Northeastern tip of the Southern Island of New Zealand. It features a cool weather climate with sunny days and temperature drops at night, allowing grapes to hang on the vine for a long time. This allows the grapes to develop a lot of character and also maintain acidity through the ripening process. This climate has come to help define Marlborough as one of the most important wine regions of New Zealand, which now produces a majority of New Zealand wines. This area excels in the production of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir wines. The signature style of Marlborough wine typically focuses on the characteristics of the fruit, which is found here in the Crowded House Sauvignon Blanc.

The Crowded House Sauvignon Blanc shows a pale straw color in the glass. It offers lots of peach and honeysuckle on the nose. On the palate, it begins with bold flavors of grapefruit, tropical fruit, and some minerality. As it warms a bit, flavors of Meyer lemon begin to shine through. Dried herbs pick up mid-palate and follow through a long finish that is aided by the wine’s bright acidity. It’s a dry wine with minimal residual sugars and has medium body. The wine was 100% tank fermented, allowing it to maintain a trueness to the flavors and aromas provided by the Sauvignon Blanc fruit.

I had several successful food pairings with this wine, showing its food friendliness. Romaine salad with feta cheese and walnuts worked well. A New Zealand wine and a dish made with a sheep’s milk cheese is a natural pairing. The wine paired well with roasted chicken, complimenting a crisp salty skin. Being in Texas, I had to try the Tex-Mex pairing test, and I have to report the wine’s bright acidity helped it pair well with chicken fajitas and cheese quesadillas.

At a $12.95 suggested retail price, this wine provides a good value for anyone looking for an introduction to Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc wines or to serve at a get together with family and friends.

Specifications

• Crowded House Sauvignon Blanc, 2016 vintage
• Appellation: 100% Marlborough, 85% sourced from the Southern Valleys’ sub-region.
• 100% fermented in tanks, with extended lees aging post fermentation
• Alcohol: 12.8% ABV
• pH: 3.18
• Acid: 6.9
• Acidity: Medium-Plus
• Body: Medium
• Residual Sugar: 1.6g/L
• Suggested Retail Price: $12.95 at the time of review