Montana Sauvignon Blanc

Montana – The Jewel in New Zealand’s Crown

I’ve been aware of the glittering prestige of the Montana Sauvignon Blanc for some time now.  In fact I’ve been privy to the bottom of the bottle on several occasions.  It has a drinkable quality and can often disappear without even a second though.  Before you know it you and your pal have gone through two bottles.  Oops.

Having said that, I’d never thought to try the rest of the range.  I had my favourite white and didn’t really see the difference/point in a reserve version of the same wine.  Here was me thinking it was just a more expensive version.  I couldn’t have been more wrong!

Where the bog standard version is green, gooseberry-ish and dry as a bone, the reserve is fruity and elegant with only a hint of the crisp acidity you find in the non-reserve. The reserve is much more complex wine, made with only the ripest and most flavour intense grapes harvested predominately from Montana’s renowned Brancott Vineyard in the famous Malborough Estate.

There’s also a red to enjoy from this range – A lush Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 – a vibrant wine with aromatic, intense fruit flavours of blackcurrant and raspberry, as well as hints of cedar, vanilla and coffee.  The pallet is rich and full with a soft and smooth finish.

If you would like to find out more about the wineries to visit in New Zealand, then invest in a copy of the recently launched Wine Travel Guide to the World produced by Montana wines and Footprint travel publishers and edited by award winning wine writer Robert Joseph.  This unique travel guide offers comprehensive information about wineries and wine experiences all over the globe and is priced at £19.99.  Available from all good book stores and www.amazon.com