2018 Te Awa Left Field Sauvignon Blanc Nelson New Zealand 750 ml

This is the kind of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc that rarely makes it to U.S. shores. Infused with the rich, lush, passion fruit expression of Nelson’s warm climate and available at a superb value, Kiwis usually keep this stuff to themselves. Thanks to some cajoling from us and other Te Awa fans, we’ve finally made this pristine white available in the States to Wine Access members, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find it elsewhere.

Glistening pale green in hue, the aromas are of pure yellow flowers, ripe ruby grapefruit, and bright lemon zest. The attack is at once rich, concentrated, and wonderfully mineral, finishing with mouthwatering vibrancy. This bottle was our biggest find from the Napa Valley Film Festival, held here each November. It’s easy to get distracted by the Hollywood heavyweights that crowd town for a couple days, but this year the 2018 Te Awa Left Field Sauvignon Blanc stole the spotlight completely.

Poured at an afterparty by a host who had brought a few bottles back from his travels, the Te Awa reminded us of some of the best wines we’ve tasted from Seifried, Neudorf, and Te Mānia. While Marlborough wines show cooler, sharper tones, Nelson wines like this one have a luscious, rounded concentration that’s instantly recognizable.

Working out of one of the best growing sites in Nelson, winemaker Richard Painter molds sunny, seemingly endless New Zealand days into citrus-flecked richness, laced with vibrant acidity. 

“It’s silt, gravel, and stone, no matter how far down we dig,” Painter told us. Thanks to these rock-strewn vineyards, the Left Field Sauvignon Blanc vines are stressed as much as they are in the central Loire, while the stones absorb heat and sunlight, imbuing grapes with ripeness. Vines cleansed by the maritime breezes, small berries, and diurnal temperature shifts helps create wines of crispness and full-bodied texture.

We invite you to be one of the first to enjoy it stateside.