Jackson Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2000

The 2000 Jackson Estate Sauvignon Blanc exhibits an intense bouquet and flavor of tropical pineapple, fresh mown grass, gooseberry and ripe melon. Traces of spicy lychee also emerge after a few minutes open. Reminiscent of a good French Sancerre or Pouilly Fume, the Jackson Estate is balanced by a crisp acidity, which never allows the wine’s fruit and full, racy flavors to get out of hand. In short, the 2000 Jackson Estate Sauvignon Blanc is a distinctive and consistently delicious Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc – a wine that epitomizes the unique character of the region. Enjoying near cult status for its expressive, personality-filled wines, it’s easy to see why this estate was awarded “classic wine” status in New Zealand for its work with Sauvignon Blanc. Serve moderately chilled.

Certainly, a plate full of steamed New Zealand mussels is the first accompaniment that comes to mind in the presence of the 2000 Jackson Estate Sauvignon Blanc. Just the mere thought of these tiny bivalves in the presence of the Jackson Estate is enough to cause several members of our tasting panel to salivate. Well prepared Low Country dishes also provide other memorable pairings. A traditional Charleston Shrimp with Grits is another award-winning combination with this wine. The Jackson Estate holds up beautifully to the tasso cream sauce in the Shrimp and Grits and highlights the myriad of flavors in this grand old recipe. Most fish, light pastas and even sausage dishes will also provide rewarding accompaniments to this Sauvignon Blanc, so enjoy!

One hundred and fifty years ago Adam Jackson grew bountiful crops of wheat, oats and barley on the rich river silt soils of Marlborough’s Wairau Plain. Today, his great-grandson, John Stichbury produces some of New Zealand’s most lauded wines on that same block of land. A lofty gum tree which once provided welcome shade for Adam Jackson and his team of horses to rest from tilling the soil now overlooks row upon row of vineyard. Its timeless silhouette against a clear sky has become an emblem of the family’s long link with the land, and appears on the estate’s wine label. Fired by the same enjoyment of adventure and challenge that prompted New Zealand’s early settlers to leave home and hearth for a new life in the colonies, John Stichbury, and gentlemen farmers ventured into the noble endeavor of grape growing. Tempering his innovative spirit with practical wisdom gained in years of growing agricultural crops, Stichbury planted his first grapevines in 1988 and never looked back. Experience and inspiration has proved a winning mix for John, whose Jackson Estate wines have gone on to consistently win many medals both in New Zealand and abroad. And more importantly, Jackson Estate’s reputation for consistent quality and full-of-fruit flavor means the bottles seldom spend long on the shop shelf. In fact, we had a little difficulty procuring enough of this wine.