Catalina Sounds Sauvignon Blanc 2023 - Marlborough, New Zealand

92/100 Bob Campbell, The Real Review
90/100 Bob Campbell, The Real Review (2022 vintage)
93/100 New Zealand Wine Rater (2022 vintage)
93/100 Bob Campbell, The Real Review (2021 vintage)
92/100 Wine Spectator (2021 vintage)
95/100 Bob Campbell, The Real Review (2020 vintage)
91/100 James Suckling (2020 vintage)

Bronze - Wine Spectator (2022 vintage)
Bronze - Wine Enthusiast (2022 vintage)

Gold - Asia Wine Challenge (2022 vintage)
Bronze - Decanter World Wine Awards (2022 vintage)
Bronze - The National Wine Awards of Aotearoa 2022 (2022 vintage)
Commended - International Wine Challenge (2022 vintage)
Gold - International Wine Challenge (2020 vintage)
Silver - London Wine Competition (2020 vintage)

Bob Campbell, The Real Review "Tangy, vibrant wine with passionfruit, guava, capsicum and gooseberry flavours. Punchy, textural sauvignon blanc with appealing purity. Good food wine in a mouth-watering, bone dry style."

Bob Campbell, The Real Review "Light, fresh, mouth-watering wine with restrained passionfruit, lemongrass and lime zest. Restrained wine with appealing purity. Made with a light touch. Would be better if the volume was turned up a bit." (2022 vintage)

New Zealand Wine Rater "Restrained, vinous, nose with a herbal lift that keeps you guessing and going back for more. With time in the glass, there are aromas of lemon zest, honeydew melon, nectarine stone, blackcurrant leaf, chervil and Thai basil. An understated, subtle, stylish wine with a delicate, saline, oyster-shell freshness that for all its elegance still shows good concentration and depth." (2022 vintage)

Wine Spectator "Distinctly herbal, with notes of lemon basil, lemongrass and thyme to complement the core of lemon-lime and grassy flavors, while a touch of salty minerality lingers on the finish." (2022 vintage)

Matt Ward "Preserved citrus, elderflower, subtle tropical fruit and a touch of Jalapeño create enticing aromatics. Beautiful intensity of flavour from start to finish, with crisp and juicy minerality, medium fruit weight and threaded together with a fine line of texture. A reflection of excellent vineyards and winemaking style in a challenging season." (2022 vintage)

Wine Spectator "This juicy and succulent white opens on a fresh note of lemon verbena and lemongrass, with wonderful purity to the pear, Honeycrisp apple and lemon curd flavors, backed by a lingering note of fresh yuzu juice." (2021 vintage)

Bob Campbell, The Real Review "Weighty, textural sauvignon blanc with lime, grapefruit, passionfruit, feijoa and lemongrass flavours supported by delicious, mouth-watering acidity. A punchy wine that is classically Marlborough" (2020 vintage)

Marlborough based award-winning winery, Catalina Sounds is known for wines that harness the purity and vibrancy of Marlborough’s climate and landscape. The name Catalina Sounds evolved from the majestic Catalina flying boats that played a vital role across the South Pacific during and after World War II.

Marlborough is by far New Zealand's most important wine region. Situated at the north-eastern tip of the South Island, this dry, sunny region produces around three-quarters of all New Zealand wine. It is particularly famous for its pungent, zesty Sauvignon Blanc - widely considered by critics to be the best Sauvignon currently produced anywhere on the planet. Commercial-scale viticulture began in Marlborough in the 1970s – it conquered the world within 25 years!

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.