Dog Point Section 94 2006

Michael Cooper's Buyer's Guide to NZ Wines 2009

4 star

Looking for 'texture, rather than rich aromatics', winemaker James Healy and his partner Ivan Sutherland (both former Cloudy Bay stalwarts) fermented and lees-aged their 2006 vintage 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 very non-herbaceous style with tropical-fruit aromas, showing some 'funky' notes. Tight and youthful, it is a weighty and concentrated, with fresh, firm acidity and a slightly off-dry (5.9 grams/litre of residual sugar) finish. It should be long-lived.