Dog Point Section 94 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2013

Dog Point is widely touted as New Zealand’s premier producer of Sauvignon Blanc and for good reason. Healy and Sutherland spare no pains in fashioning their wines, especially the vineyard’s premier offering, Section 94. The Dog Point 2013 Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc readily affirms the estate’s acumen with Sauvignon Blanc: it garnered 96 Points from Bob Campbell MW, New Zealand’s wine specialist, and 93 Points from Wine Spectator. The 2013 Section 94 offers an attractive pale straw color, wonderful aromatics replete with savory scents of herb, melon, nectarine and orchard fruits, a textured, smooth mouth-feel, and a delicious mélange of herb, fruit, and well-integrated oak flavors. Rich, expansive, and powerfully structured, there is no wimp in this wine. The outstanding 2013 Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc offers up a sensual, complex cache of aromas and flavors that will fill the senses and exit with a vibrant flourish. Although mesmerizing now, the Dog Point 2013 Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc will continue to improve in bottle for at least another four or five years. We can attest to Dog Point Section 94’s ability to age and improve over time, as decade old Section 94’s are still drinking beautifully. For optimal enjoyment, we suggest allowing the 2013 Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc 10-15 minutes of aeration before serving with a moderate chill (about 40º F).

Dyed in the wool Sauvignon Blanc aficionados will relish the 2013 Dog Point Section 94 all by itself. But why settle for half the pleasure? New Zealanders don’t. Dog Point’s Section 94 makes its appearance at nearly all the top restaurants in New Zealand. Why? New Zealanders love their food as well as their Sauvignon Blanc, and in that other land “down under” food and Sauvignon Blanc are nearly synonymous. For starter, crustaceans, mollusks, and just about anything edible that comes from the sea is sure to be elevated in the presence of Dog Point’s 2013 Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc. Certainly, a bowl of New Zealand Green Tip Mussels are a perennial favorite as are clams and oysters, steamed, roasted or on the half shell. For those who prefer fish, a simple filet of cod or flounder, baked with white wine, garlic, herbs and mustard provides a fine accompaniment. For more adventuresome gourmands, we suggest spicy chorizo mussels, served with garlic bread. Herb crusted shrimp or prawns provide other tasty treats. Section 94 will more than do justice to a lobster dinner, too. For those who eschew seafood, Dog Point’s exceptional Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc also pairs magnificently with white meats, marinated chicken or pork, and mild curries. The 2013 Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc is no wilting flower, so no need to worry about it being overpowered. Enjoy!

James Healy and Ivan Sutherland are the heart and soul of the Dog Point Vineyard. Both helped make Cloudy Bay a household name nearly two decades ago when Cloudy Bay was a Marlborough benchmark. They served as winemaker and vineyard manager respectively. They began Dog Point Vineyard to make their own style of wine and establish Dog Point as the non plus ultra of Marlborough And what wines they make. In less than a half dozen vintages, James, Ivan, and their wives Margaret and Wendy created benchmark Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in addition to the finest New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc we have ever tasted.

Dog Point uses well-established old vines from which yields have been strictly limited. This practice results in an optimal flavor profile in each of the estate’s wines. In addition, only natural yeasts are employed, adding to the complexity of the wines. The results of Dog Point’s meticulous practices are clearly evident in the rich, flavorful, and highly textured products they send to our table.

Dog Point derives its name from the stark hills overlooking Marlborough’s Wairau Valley, where in times past packs of wild dogs would roam and attack the flocks of sheep that grazed on the hills. Dog Point is also home to one of New Zealand’s national treasures, the indigenous “ti kouka” or cabbage tree, whose image graces all of Dog Point’s labels.