2023 Tom Eddy Winery TENZ Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 750 ml

Even the most entrenched California winemakers know it: While Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc is undeniably great, New Zealand fruit has a covetable zip and aromatic intensity that’s tough to replicate.

It could be the Wairau Valley’s gravelly, well-draining soils, or the riverbed fog, or the cold breezes off surrounding mountains, or all three. Whatever it is, veteran Napa winemaker Tom Eddy had to have it. So the man who built his significant reputation on Napa Valley Cabernet decided to source Sauv Blanc solely from across the Pacific.

It was a shrewd move. Eddy’s 2023 TENZ bottling is an exemplary New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, brimming with aromas of passionfruit, lime zest, grapefruit, gooseberry, and flint. Bright and refreshing on the palate, it bursts with juicy citrus and tropical fruit, riding a lightning bolt of acidity to a long, zesty finish, with a touch of herbal, saline minerality. 

Eddy has been making TENZ since 2004, but in all those years, the Marlborough region (where Wairau is located) has rarely seen a vintage like 2023. A cool, wet early season had growers worrying about disease, but the year leveled off into clear days and low humidity, allowing grapes to hang long into harvest, developing beautiful complexity. In the end, Wine Spectator awarded the vintage 95 points—tying Marlborough’s highest-ever vintage score from the publication. 

Eddy travels to New Zealand every year for harvest and to plan out his Sauvignon Blanc selections. He harvests his grapes slightly later than surrounding vineyards, providing additional depth and ripeness while retaining striking acidity. After fermentation, he has samples shipped home, where he handles all the blending, leading to Sauvignon Blanc with power, intricacy, and delightful tension.