Man O' War Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2020 - Waiheke Island, New Zealand

93/100 Bob Campbell (2018 vintage)
16+/20 Raymond Chan (2017 vintage)
93/100 Decanter World Wine Awards (2016 Vintage)

Silver - Decanter World Wine Awards (2016 Vintage)
Bronze - Decanter World Wine Awards (2009 Vintage)
Silver - San Francisco International Wine Competition (2009 Vintage)
Bronze - Japan Wine Challenge (2008 Vintage)

Bob Campbell "Appealing purity and a perfect balance of tangy acidity that helps drive a lengthy finish"

The Winemaker "Stylish and restrained with herbaceous aromas intertwined with fresh mint, lemongrass and sea spray. Focused and light with a nice hint of texture from the barrel to balance the fresh acidity and vibrancy of fruit that the variety is known for. As with all our fruit, the sauvignon blanc is hand-harvested before being gently whole bunched pressed.."

Raymond Chan "...The mouthfeel is fresh with crisp, lacy acidity and the wine flows along a soft-textured line leading to a moderately lingering, mouthwatering finish. This is a cool-spectrum fruited Sauvignon Blanc with surprisingly soft care and line with balanced acid zestiness...The nose is very fresh with intense and penetrating aromas of grass, nettles, stalky elements and fresh herbs. This is very cool-spectrum in expression. Dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate is elegant and slender in proportion with a gently concentrated core of gooseberries, fresh herbs, nettles, cut-grass and stalky notes." (2017 vintage)

Bob Campbell "A fruit-focused Bordeaux-style sauvignon blanc...gains added complexity from a blend of 5% Semillon." (2017 vintage)

Decanter Wine Awards "Lovely concentration and depth of vanilla, nut, lime, apple and spice flavours. A memorable wine with decent acidity and weight. Lengthy finish with a pinch of spice." (2016 vintage)

Sam Kim "Handpicked from their estate vineyard, the wine was blended with a small amount of Semillon for added complexity. The beautifully fragrant bouquet shows grapefruit, green apple, lemongrass and stone fruit characters. It is vibrant and brightly flavoured on the palate, and displays fine texture and lovely focus, brilliantly structured by crisp acidity." (2016 vintage)

Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate "Man O’ War is without a doubt one of New Zealand’s greatest wineries in the making and one to watch."

Jancis Robinson “Waiheke Island, home to one of the country’s best Syrah producers Man O’ War…New Zealand is second only to the Rhône in the consistency of quality it achieves.”

Raymond Chan "Man O’ War is arguably Waiheke Island’s most significant wine producer.."

Man O'War Vineyards is a leading New Zealand wine producer on Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf. It is known for its consistently high-quality range of wines made from grape varieties like Chardonnay, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Each small parcel of vines is carefully tended and harvested by hand, then vinified separately, fusing classic Old World techniques with innovative New World ideas.

Waiheke Island is a wine-producing region just 18km east of Auckland city. This hilly island is home to a healthy population of hippies and artists, as well as some of Auckland's most famous vineyards. Waiheke Island's specialty is elegant Bordeaux Blend wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, but Syrah and Chardonnay are also important grape varieties planted here.

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.