2013 Te Koko Sauvignon Blanc

(from a cooler, more challenging season than 2015, according to Sorrell, "but the harvest conditions were pretty good, with no disease pressures"): Bright yellow. The wine's sexy oak component complements its aromas of stone fruits and minerals. Tactile and densely packed, boasting lovely clarity, with lemon drop and stone fruit flavors dominating. The fruit is a bit suppressed on the finish, which shows a slightly sour edge and a touch of dryness (the wine was de-acidified just before the bottling). This youthfully disjointed wine displays a less harmonious texture than the flagship 2015 Sauvignon Blanc but is still very young. Will it achieve greater balance with time in the cellar? It certainly showed more citrus and stone fruits and honey with aeration, not to mention more weight. Incidentally, this was the first year that Cloudy Bay made this wine from their four oldest parcels; previously it was a selection of the best fruit. "The Te Koko used to be more tropical," noted Sorrell, adding that, in the future, Cloudy Bay will be picking this fruit earlier and retaining more solids.