Country: New Zealand Region: Martinborough Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc Vintage: 2016 Colour: White Style: Dry Producer: Palliser Sauvignon Blanc Reviews: Read Critic Scores & Reviews Description: Palliser Estate will feature in any discussion of New Zealand's finest wine producers - and their wonderful drink now Pencarrow range has an enviable track record for finesse, elegance and all round over delivery. Ever popular, for good reason, Pencarrow Sauvignon remains a totally consistent Martinborough benchmark and the 2018 is an absolute cracker - loaded with plush layers of tropical fruits and tangy citrus characters.  The Pencarrow brand was introduced as a secondary label to preserve the integrity of the premium Palliser Estate Martinborough brand. However, as often happens with excellent labels, Pencarrow has taken a life of its own, mainly because the quality is very high. ‘The Luminary’ has become the brand to protect ‘Pencarrow’! Allan Johnson has now stepped down from the chief winemaking and viticultural role at Palliser Estate with Guy McMaster stepping into his position. Guy tells me that the Palliser team are in the middle of a programme to identify the superior vineyard parcels to enable even more precise blending, and this will benefit all the Palliser brands.  Aroma: The nose is fresh, elegant ant tightly bound with aromas of white florals, gooseberries, fresh herbs and limes, unfolding esters and passionfruit elements in the glass. Tasting Note: Dry to taste and medium-bodied, elegantly proportioned, bright and juicy flavours of white stonefruits, gooseberries and fresh herbs feature on the palate. The mouthfeel is lively and refreshing with slippery acidity enhancing the fruit richness. The wine flows smoothly, gently fading to a dry, fine-textured finish. This is a fresh juicy, up-front Sauvignon Blanc with gooseberry fruit and a slippery, smooth mouthfeel. Winemaking: Fruit predominantly from the ‘Palliser’ and ‘Pencarrow’ vineyards with grapes from the ‘Collins’ and ‘Southdown’ sites, stainless-steel fermented to 13.3% alc. and 4.1 g/L RS, the wine aged 6 months on lees. Food Matches: Seafood / Chicken / Mussels / Hors d'Oeuvres