The Wines

"Intense, precise sauvignon blanc with grapefruit, citrus, subtle passionfruit and a suggestion of struck flint character. A powerful wine that’s long and linear, with strong varietal definition that’s made more interesting with a hint of reductive character."

"A powerful yet controlled even complex bouquet of sauvignon blanc with aromas of apples and white flowers, wet stones and grapefruit, sweet hay, gooseberry and white peach. Tense, youthful, vibrant, varietal and packed with energy. A core of fruit reflects the impact and power from the bouquet, zippy acidity, some fruit spice and sweet hay all leading to a long finish. What’s not to like! Drink now and through 2021."

"This exceptional wine is highly aromatic, weighty and sweet-fruited, with intense, ripely herbaceous flavours and a crisp, very long finish. Certified organic."

"Very slightly reductive, struck-match nose and extra-bright fruit with strong passionfruit aromas and a certain amount of delicacy. Chalky finish. Lots of interest here. Very youthful and energetic indeed. Complimenti!"

"Mouthwatering and vivid, with a laser beam of focus and intensity to the Meyer lemon, ruby grapefruit and dried mango flavors. Peppery white flower aromas and a touch of freshly grated ginger add complexity."

"Perhaps the most complex regular Savvy I can recall from Dog Point, the 2019 Sauvignon Blanc offers up aromas that range from subtle notions of garden peas to melon, nectarine and pink grapefruit. It’s medium-bodied and silky in texture, generous yet crisp, with a focused, slightly chalky and deliciously lingering finish."

Hand-picked from its own vineyards in Marlborough, Dog Point's Sauvignon is bright, crisp and super-fresh, more typical in Marlborough style than the barrel-fermented 'Section 94' cuvee, with huge punch and verve. Passionfruit is there, with tropical notes suggesting lychee and guava, a touch of capsicum, but really all about the fruit. In the mouth the texture has some richness and mealiness to it, the citrus blast of the acidity balanced perfectly against the more unctuous, tropical fruit into a dry and beautifully balanced finish. Typical and yet not, this is a fine example of Marlborough's unique Sauvignon style.

"This ranks among the country’s greatest oak-aged Sauvignon Blancs. The very classy 2013 vintage, held back to acquire bottle age, is also on sale in late 2019. Proving the ageability of well-crafted Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, it is still very vigorous, with light colour, a real sense of youthful drive, and lovely depth and harmony."

"Complex, developing bouquet with aromas of preserved lemon and quince, peaches and apples, a core of stony minerality, layers of lees spice and a completeness. Equally complex on the palate, calm and confident, balanced and still fresh. Flavours reflect the nose with preserved citrus, apple and stone fruit highlights. The lees and acidity along with barrel ageing give this wine a fresh silky texture and lengthy finish. Balanced and ready, complex and long. Drink now and through 2024+."

"Bright medium-yellow colour, with a smoky oak-dominated bouquet, the varietal fruit is obscured at this juncture. The palate is dry and refreshing, crisp and lip-smacking in its acidity. Long carry. The herbal notes on the palate are somewhat varietal, but the wine doesn’t have typical Marlborough pungency."

"Savoury, complex chardonnay, with less emphasis on citrus and grapefruit fruit flavours and more on struck flint, fireworks, biscuit and brioche-like character. Good acidity and an appealing texture."

"This has such complex and rich style to it with a flinty edge to the peach, grilled-lime and lemon-pith aromas. The palate has really rich textural layering and plenty of peach, grapefruit and pastry flavors. Resolved, powerful and smooth."

"Yup, a little struck-match character on this one as well as on the Sauvignon Blancs – as one might expect. Completely deeelicious in my book. What a bargain! If, and only if, you like this style. But this seems constructed for the long term with exceedingly true and bright fruit. Coche fans could save a fortune… Fairly rich fruit but with no shortage of trademark Marlborough acidity to keep it fresh."

"Bold and expressive bouquet – no mistaking the white smoke of toasty oak with baking spices, vanilla and a leesy lactic core. Aromas of baked yellow stone fruits, baked apple and grapefruit. On the palate – dry, weighty and creamy texture, flavours of baked orchard fruits, toasty oak with fine tannins, medium+ acidity and long satisfying finish. A really lovely wine with just enough complexity to beckon a second glass. Drink now and through 2023."

Made mostly from the fascinating Mendoza clone of Chardonnay which has a 'hen and chick' propensity, developing different sized berries. That means a higher skin to juice ratio and keener acidity than more regular fruit growth. Fermented and aged in French oak barrels, 15% new, from organic vineyards and made with natural yeasts and minimal filtration, it's a carefully crafted - but in some ways un-crafted - wine that displays enough of the flinty, reductive character that is so appealing, without losing sight of the fruit. A creamy almond sheen to the fruit, the palate delivers a smooth and refined continuation, oatmeal and light vanilla notes over gorgeous tropical fruit, sliced through with lime and grapefruit, the swirl of smoke and flint enduring. It's a cracking Chardonnay.

Still a baby, the 2017 vintage is bright, light lemon/green, with a fragrant, slightly earthy bouquet. Mouthfilling, it has vibrant, intense, citrusy flavours, woven with fresh acidity, that build well to a tightly structured lasting finish.

"Chardonnay is an underrated variety in Marlborough, but few do it as well there as Dog Point. The 2017 Chardonnay offers up refined aromas of toasted hazelnuts and cashews alongside grilled white peaches and pineapple. A bit brasher in the mouth, it’s medium to full-bodied, concentrated and boldly flavoured, finishing with lingering citrus flavors of tangerine and grapefruit."

"Deliciously fruit pinot noir with plum, dark cherry, anise, spice and nutty oak flavours among the more obvious descriptors. A dense wine with underlying power and obvious potential but dangerously drinkable now. This must be one of Marlborough’s most consistently top reds. And it’s organic."

"This is very convincing, complex and downright impressive pinot noir. The intense aromas of ripe cherries and plums are framed in such intensely attractive oak spice and earthy, sous-bois complexity. The palate has regal, polished and powerful tannin and carries a vibrant core of very attractive, rich dark cherries."

"A very impressive, concentrated, powerful Pinot that needs a bit of air. Density and perfectly ripe fruit. Majestic stuff: this would stand up well beside top burgundy."

"One of the top wine producers in NZ for me. There’s a fair amount of reductive char and toasty spicy oak here, aniseed and black cherry, dried flowers and wet earth. It’s medium-bodied, clod earth and toasted spice, dry gravelly tannin, sappy dark fruit, and a firm long finish. Savoury and powerful. Needs a little more time in bottle."

Deep but soft colour, lovely spicy nose with some rhubarb and beetroot character, clove and a touch of something floral, red fruits too. In the mouth silky textured and creamy, with plenty of keen, bright fruit, raspberry and some cherry moving into plum, a little spice and chocolate and the oak adding more silky depth. Lovely acidity, cherry fresh and clean in the finish.

"Not the flashiest or most flamboyant vintage for this wine, the medium-bodied 2017 Pinot Noir is taut and tight, with subtle notions of green rose hips entwined with white strawberries and tart raspberries. Endowed with silky tannins and ample concentration, it should improve over the next couple of years and drink well for up to a decade."