2021 Lawson's Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc Reserve Marlborough New Zealand 750 ml

Lawson’s Dry Hills is our highest rated New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc over the last four years—but despite our members’ enthusiasm, it will never be our top seller.

There’s simply not enough of it to go around.

In fact, we weren’t able to offer any wine from Lawson’s in the 2020 vintage: it was especially parsimonious. This marks the first time we’ve had a chance to offer their Reserve Sauvignon Blanc—it’s normally allocated to top restaurants—and this debut is a doozy.

From the 2021 vintage that Master of Wine and doyenne of British wine critics Jancis Robinson called “perfectly formed”—before warning of “likely shortages” due to another small crop—it’s everything we want from New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. 

This unparalleled value is a blessing and a curse for American wine lovers. Because once South Island locals and Southern Hemisphere critics have their fill, there’s seldom any left for anyone else—just 300 cases of the Reserve are arriving on US shores. When there is, we jump on it, and we advise you to do the same. 

This wine is for fans of bright, ultra-aromatic white wines, and especially New World Sauvignon Blancs. No matter where we have the pleasure of tasting it, we always find ourselves lingering way too long over this cool Kiwi stunner, whose fruit and fresh, crisp acidity will seduce you into making it your entire plan for the afternoon.

This is sourced solely from the Woodward block of their Waihopai, just a few hundred meters from their winery, and their Blind River vineyard in the Awatere. It’s also held back to develop in bottle before release and made in exceptionally limited quantities.