Dog Point Section 94 2007

Michael Cooper's Buyer's Guide to NZ Wines 2010 

4 star

Looking for 'texture, rather than rich aromatics', winemaker James Healy and his partner, Ivan Sutherland, fermented and lees-aged their 2007 Sauvignon Blanc for 18 months in seasoned French oak casks. Hand-picked in Sutherland's Dog Point Vineyard (for which 'Section 94' was the original survey title) and fermented with indigenous yeasts, it's a mouthfilling, finely structured wine, still unfolding, with a ripely scented, slightly funky bouquet. Mouthfilling, fresh and vibrant, it is a very sweet-fruited, with highly concentrated peach and passionfruit flavours, a hint of sweetness (5.6 grams/litre of residual sugar), balanced acidity and a tight finish.