Dog Point Section 94 Barrel Aged Sauvignon Blanc (Organic) 2017 - Marlborough, New Zealand - Value 6 Pack

A premium and distinctive expression of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, the Section 94 from Dog Point is crafted for those who appreciate depth, texture, and complexity beyond the typical style.

This organically grown wine is barrel-fermented using wild yeasts and aged on lees, delivering a layered profile of ripe citrus, stone fruit, toasted nuts, and subtle smoky notes. The palate is rich and structured, with a creamy texture balanced by vibrant acidity and a long, savoury finish.

6 Pack Value – Ideal for collectors, dinner hosting, or those who enjoy a more serious take on Sauvignon Blanc.

97/100 New Zealand Wine Rater
96/100 James Suckling
96/100 Falstaff
95/100 Bob Campbell, The Real Review
94/100 The Wine Front
93/100 Tom Cannavan
92/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review
92/100 Wine & Spirit Magazine
92/100 Decanter
92/100 CellarTracker
91/100 Wine Spectator
Bronze - Wine Enthusiast
Bronze - Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
95/100 Bob Campbell, The Real Review (2016 vintage)
94/100 Wine Spectator (2016 vintage)
92/100 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (2016 vintage)
92/100 CellarTracker (2016 vintage)
Bronze - Decanter (2016 vintage)

Organic

New Zealand Wine Rater "An exceptionally intense, pervasive, complex nose that's certain to elicit a 'wow' from those not familiar with this compelling style of wine. There's an array of appealing aromas including grapefruit rind, desiccated lemon, ashed chevre and nutty, peppery notes from lees contact. A rich, powerful, impressively textural wine with savoury lees and smoky barrel notes and a haunting, positively phenolic 'gin n tonic' finish. It is incredibly fresh for its' age and still has a long life ahead. Amongst the very finest NZ Sauvignons we've ever tried."

James Suckling "This is a very tight, complex and concentrated sauvignon with flint, grilled-lemon and struck-match aromas, as well as passion-fruit pastry. The palate has a smooth textural build with pastry-like texture and flavors of peaches, lemons and mangoes that hold long."

Falstaff "Pale golden yellow, silver glints. Inviting flinty nuances, underpinned by smoky-nutty tones, white fruit, and a delicate touch of lychee. An attractive bouquet. Firm, graceful, racy structure, enhanced by lovely citrus nuances, and a salty finish, with soft reverberations of hazelnuts. Invigorating!"

Bob Campbell, The Real Review "Oak-aged sauvignon that retains varietal character of lime, grapefruit, green pineapple together with savoury/struck flint and saline/mineral characters. Distinctive and complex wine supported by vibrant acidity."

Tom Cannavan "A Sauvignon Blanc that marches to a different beat, fruit is hand-picked, whole bunch pressed and fermented and aged in older French oak barrels for 18 months. Grapefruit and nutty, almondy oak combine, along with a ripe orchard fruit character. In the mouth lovely juiciness and thrust, the pithy, mineral freshness of the acidity, a touch of flint, and squeeze of citrus to finish."

Huon Hooke, The Real Review "Medium straw-yellow hue with a bizarre bouquet of smoky sulfides and lavishly applied toasty-barrel oak, dominating the pungent sauvignon blanc fruit beneath it. Smoked chicken is the main event. There is searingly intense acidity on the tongue and a very dry, lip-smacking finish. It's certainly impressive, but when you would drink it is another matter."

Decanter "From a single parcel within Dog Point’s vineyards, located at the confluence of the Brancott and Omaka valleys, the vines planted in 1992 on free-draining, silty clay-loam alluvial soils. A warm spring and late summer were followed by cool but good conditions into the autumn, with harvest concluded rapidly to beat heavy rains in mid-April 2017. The wine was fermented and aged in used French oak barrels for 18 months, and bottled without fining. Toasty wood to the fore on the nose, but there’s key lime pie richness and herbal notes of marjoram and bay. Ripe lemon and lime citrus with lightly tropical passion fruit and pineapple, though the fruit is underscored by a distinctly earthy/mushroom creamy character enhancing complexity on mid-palate and finish, which has great length. Best with food such as meaty fish, tuna steak or chicken in a creamy mushroom sauce."

Wine Spectator "A touch of popcorn kernel accents the mouthwatering pomelo, lime and ruby grapefruit flavors, with whiffs of smoke and black tea. Details of marmalade and lemon verbena add complexity on the finish."

Wine Enthusiast "This single-vineyard Sauvignon is fermented in old French oak. Made in a style similar to many modern Kiwi Chardonnays, seemingly with reductive handling and high solids, aromas of struck match, onions and buttered popcorn dominate, with a lick of oak at the back. There's little varietal or terroir expression here. There's searing acidity and angular oak on the palate that does soften as it warms in the glass, and some texture and fruit weight show up to the party, but overall this is a style that feels overworked and dissonant."

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate "Struck flint and hints of woodsmoke appear on the nose of the 2017 Section 94, a Sauvignon Blanc fermented in barrel with indigenous yeasts. This is a tight, compact vintage for this bottling, with tightly coiled grapefruit flavors partially concealed by notions of fresh greens and crushed stone. It's crisp and medium-bodied, with a citrusy finish. It's a solid effort, but compared to other recent Section 94s, it leaves me wanting more."

Bob Campbell, The Real Review "Section 94 is one of Marlborough's most highly-acclaimed barrel fermented/matured examples of sauvignon blanc. It is also one of the more adventurous wines with a strong savoury, struck flint reductive character. A richly textural and impressively complex wine." (2016 vintage)

Wine Spectator "Impressively deep, with whiffs of smoke, white pepper, honeycomb and orange blossom that melt into apricot, dried mango and lemon curd flavors. Matcha green tea and nutmeg details linger on the long, expressive finish, with a delicate thread of acidity weaving in and out, keeping the flavors fresh." (2016 vintage)

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate "To emphasize its difference from the classic Sauvignon Blanc, Dog Point's 2016 Section 94 steadfastly refuses to note the varietal on the front label. Which, I should note for TTB purposes, is actually the back label. Whatever. It continues to be a benchmark for the so-called alternative style of Sauvignon Blanc, being barrel-fermented with high solids and indigenous yeasts. Wild notes of green onions and sweat dominate the nose at the moment, but I expect them to mellow with time in the bottle and reveal the underlying stone fruit and grapefruit elements. It's medium to full-bodied but fresh and vibrant, with a crisp, citrusy finish. Unlike most Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs, the Section 94 and similar wines can drink well for up to a decade or more from the vintage." (2016 vintage)

Decanter "Rich and complex with evident oak, there is fruit on the mid-palate but not a great deal of varietal purity yet. Needs time." (2016 vintage)

Organic wines are made from grapes grown without pesticides, following strict organic standards. Organic wines are produced in vineyards that do not use synthetic chemicals.Certified organic wines have been certified by Biogro New Zealand. 

Dog Point is one of New Zealand's most loved wineries formed by famous Cloudy Bay's wineries former viticulturalist and winemaker Ivan Sutherland and James Healy. Some years ago they decided to go out on their own creating Dog Point. Dog Point vineyards are some of the earliest vineyards to be planted in Marlborough and have some of the oldest vines in the region. Dog Point is named for the sheep-herding history of the area.

Organic philosophies drive Dog Point's approach to wine growing and in March 2012, 150 hectares of vineyards were certified organic by BioGro New Zealand, with another 60 hectares certified as C1 (2 years in conversion). A flock of around 2,000 sheep including Romney, Perendale Cross and Merino Wiltshire Cross are grazed in the winter to keep the grass low and fertilise as they go.

After pruning; all the prunings, any grass or cover crops are mulched and added to the compost heap. This is spread under the vines to help conserve moisture and improve soil structure. A mob of 25 steers are also grazed on the property.

The Sauvignon Blanc taste is one of the most identifiable in the world of white wines for a few reasons. First, it always has crisp, high acidity. Second, it has a chemical compound called pyrazine which gives grassy, herbal or bell pepper flavors. When grown in cooler climates or picked early, the herbaceous green character is most prominent. In warmer climates or allowed to hang longer on the vine, the pyrazine character diminishes in favor of riper fruit flavors ranging from grapefruit, to passion fruit and guava.