Milestone cheer

You’ve made it to mid-March, go you! Celebrate in style this weekend …

JOHNER ESTATE WAIRARAPA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2016 $20

This shiny new sauvignon exhibits sweet basil, pea pod, ripe passionfruit and red capsicum characters and it’s darn lovely. But it’s the texture that I really like, gum-tingling acidity, powdery, fine-grained phenolics and lovely complexity on its long finish. Very nice. Sip with: smoked skate wings. johner-estate.com

DOMAINE REWA CENTRAL OTAGO CHARDONNAY 2014 $35

Central Otago chardonnay seriously shivers my timbers, and this little lovely, sourced from a tiny 5.5ha vineyard of 20-year-old vines, is a new favourite. With a flush of funky smokiness on the nose, grilled grapefruit and roast peach notes burst from the glass and merge with sexy, flint and toast flavours on the finish. A multi-layered wine with a hint of creamy complexity. I adore it. Sip with: miso-glazed grouper. meenans.co.nz

BRANCOTT ESTATE CHOSEN ROWS MARLBOROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC 2013 $80

Back in 2013 Brancott Estate launched a 2010 sauvignon blanc, named “Chosen Rows”. It was intended to smash the state of sauvignon perception. Who would pay $80 for a bottle of sauvignon, pundits mused. Well plenty did, and plenty more should, because this new vintage is even better. With gorgeous peppery cress and crushed nettle characters, sweet pea, smoked capsicum and layers of marzipan stitched together with rapier-like acidity and palate-puzzling complexity — it’s an absolute star. Sip with: swordfish steaks. glengarrywines.co.nz, bitewine.co.nz

Who would pay $80 for a bottle of sauvignon, pundits mused. Well plenty did, and plenty more should.