New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc of 2020 vintage was meant for the memorable day of December 20th of 2020. And we tasted it precisely at 20:20 and even broadcasted it live on Instagram. (link)
Maybe there’s nothing special about this day, but it’s kind of cool when numbers coincide like that. In any case, it was an excellent opportunity to get the first impression of 2020 New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
We tasted the 2020 Map Maker, 2020 Kia Ora Signature Series, and 2020 Greyrock Sauvignon Blancs. All came from the Marlborough region of New Zealand and priced around $15.
2020 Vintage in New Zealand
According to the 2020 New Zealand Winegrowers Annual Report, the 2020 harvest reflects the near-perfect growing conditions in most of the country.
Marlborough region was no exception in 2020. Dry summer with warm days and cool nights extended into Indian Summer, giving the fruit plenty of time to ripen fully. Vintners faced many challenges due to pandemic and lockdown restrictions, but thanks to the kindness of Mother Nature, they fared well.
It wouldn’t be possible in more challenging years.
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 2020 Tasting Battle
2020 Map Maker Sauvignon Blanc
Map Maker wines are contemporary Marlborough wines produced from the Staete Landt vineyard on Rapaura Road. ‘Map Maker’ honors discoverer Dutchman Abel Tasman. He was the first European to discover and ‘Map’ New Zealand in 1642.
We are unsure if Abel’s story inspired Ruud Maasdam, another Dutchman, to move to New Zealand to map his way to new life and make wine. Still, Ruud paid homage to his countryman with his colorful label.
Regardless, as much as we hate to admit it, we were influenced by the name and picture on the label because we are suckers for travel and maps—wine marketing in action.
For this wine, Ruud purchased grapes from a select few sustainably farmed vineyards in Marlborough, the premier region for Sauvignon Blanc.
In Map Maker’s Glass
So what did we get in the glass? 2020 Map Maker Sauvignon Blanc had all the hallmarks of New Zealand Sauv Blanc and more.
It was more than “in your face” passion fruit that fans love so much. The flavors of apricot, lemon, and grapefruit lead the way, with passion fruit and fresh-cut grass serving as the canvas.
Map Maker is a light-bodied wine with an almost off-dry flavor with quite an intense acidity.
2020 Kia Ora Sauvignon Blanc Signature Series
You won’t find much about this wine online. Just as Map Maker label this is a relative newcomer in New Zealand winemaking.
This wine is produced and bottled by Misty Cove Wine Group. In contrast to Map Maker, this wine is made from the estate fruit, meaning they grow the fruit and make wine.
As with Map Maker, the label also attracted our attention. They make two different levels of Sauvignon Blanc under the Kia Ora label, and the Signature Series is their version of what we might call a reserve in the United States.
We were curious about the story behind the name on the label. As it happens, “Kia Ora” means Hello/Be Well in the Maori language of New Zealand. And what could be more appropriate in 2020?
Kia Ora in the Glass
The aromas profile was quite different and had lower intensity in comparison with previous wine.
We sensed minerality and flinty notes at first. It took five to ten minutes for Kia Ora to open up and share with us aromas of white flowers, lemon, pear, and passion fruit.
There was a noticeable difference on the palate with flavors of nectarine, apple, lemon, and green passion fruit.
The acidity was well-balanced, and the body of the wine felt more substantial.
2020 Greyrock Sauvignon Blanc
Our final contender was 2020 Greyrock Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough. While the Greyrock label hardly drew our attention, it does have an interesting story behind it.
The Greyrock is carved from a local stone Onewa. It is commonly found throughout New Zealand, particularly in Marlborough and Hawke’s Bay. The stone carving is known as the Koru and represents New Zealand’s national symbol, the unfurled fern leaf. As you see, all three labels are connected to the heritage of New Zealand.
Greyrock in the Glass
Of all three wines, 2020 Greyrock smelled the sweetest with aromas of ripe peach, tropical flowers, grapefruit, lemon, and a hint of ripe passion fruit.
It had a substantial body and well-balanced acidity with a barely noticeable sweetness. We tasted an exciting combination of peach-apple pie, ripe passion fruit, and lemon.
NZ Sauvignon Blanc First Taste Winner
Overall, we were very impressed with the first taste of 2020 Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. We can smell and taste the promise of a fantastic vintage. We were excited that all three wines had more than “in your face” passion fruit, and the signature aromas were more of a canvas that winemakers used to produce more sophisticated wines.
Despite being from the same grape, vintage, and region, all three wines had a distinct character both on the nose and the palate. We were impressed with the unexpected apricot in Map Maker, sensible minerality of Kia Ora, and delicate perfume-like tropical notes of Greyrock. In the end, while we liked all three wines, it was easy to pick the winner.
The third place went to 2020 Kia Ora. There was a note of green vegetable going in and out was and masking wine’s fruitiness. Possibly, it needs more time in the bottle.
2020 Map Maker was second because of its sweet aromatics and surprising apricot on the nose and the palate.
In the first place, 2020 Greyrock. Its delicate tropical and peachy aromas, along with good structure and balanced acidity, took it to the top.
What are your thoughts if you tasted Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand or other 2020 vintage wines?
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