Oyster Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

"90 Points - A zesty, mouth-watering New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with classic aromas of gooseberry, nettle and guava, with some herbal notes on the finish. Medium-bodied with terrific acidity for a wide range of dishes, from fresh seafood to spinach quiche."

"The latest vintage of one of Canada’s bestselling white wines. Crisp and elegant; a great kiwi buy. Pale, straw green in colour and highly aromatic, with lots of lively fruit characters. Concentrated lemon citrus, passion fruit and tropical fruit flavours, with a vibrant lingering finish. Great sipper, and excellent with oysters and fish."

"A perennial favorite, this pale-straw coloured wine has concentrated aromas of citrus, gooseberry and tropical fruits. Tangy and refreshing, the aromas replay on the palate underlain with soft vegetal and mineral notes. Light-medium bodied, the flavours are very consistent delivering a bright long-lasting finish. It’s a wonderful match with sole, halibut or your favorite goat cheese recipe."

"The young New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs are more lemon-lime grapefruit than green pepper. This is a particularly vibrant example. It tastes like very ripe grapes, filled with sunshine. Dottie immediately thought of oysters on the half-shell and added “Every seafood restaurant in the world should have this on the wine list."

"New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is a go-to summer wine, especially to pair with green vegetables. This balanced bottling ‚Äì a midpoint between the grassy, pungent style and a more fruit-driven approach holds it’s own with pricier wines."

"Always a bit racy, with added complexity from tropical nuances. Classic gooseberry, lime juice and lemongrass aromas with a hint of guava. The flavours show citrus peel, with hints of grapefruit, mango and gooseberry. Zesty stuff. Food suggestion: Oysters rockefeller, shellfish."

"Plenty of grass, gooseberries and passion fruit on the nose and palate. Crisp and refreshing it would make a zesty aperitif or partner to warm king prawn salad."

"There you go. Australia’s most popular white wine stood out in the blind tastings I conducted for this issue thanks to its perfumed, almost viognier-like floral lift and ripe, attractive gooseberry fruit flavours. Easy to see why it’s become such a hit."

"This wine from Marlborough in New Zealand seems obvious in its oyster-mating abilities. In fact, this latest vintage has green vegetal, herbal overtones that remind me of raw peas or even seaweed. Forward in personality, it’s crisp with lots of tangy herbaceous lime flavour. If you’re a timid eater of oysters, this is your salvation as it will blanket but not clash with their taste."

"Fresh, fragrant and mixes biting tropical flavour with a grassy softness. It makes your mouth feel alive the moment it hits. It’s part of a NZ charge; sales of their sav blanc jumped a whopping 30 per cent last year. Top up, anyone"

"The legions of fans who have made Oyster Bay one of the leading Kiwi brands on the Australian market will be delighted with the latest release. It’s a genuine crowd-pleaser, a bold expression of Marlborough sauvignon boasting fresh passion fruit and tropical fruit flavours with hints of cut grass and citrus."

"If you want to taste the prototypical New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, visit your local Vintages outlet and pick up a bottle of Oyster Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, 2007. The wine is quite pale in colour, but don’t be fooled by its pallor. It has an intense gooseberry, green leaf and asparagus nose that leaps out of the glass and grabs you by the… nostrils. I had it with blackened scallops and it was delicious or it’ll work well with goat’s cheese."

"89 Points - Top Value from New Zealand. Bright and zingy, with lime, lime peel, green apple and a whiff of herbs as the tart finish sails on and on."

"Here comes another of those zany, zesty Sauv Blancs from the most famous winemaking area in Kiwiland. This attractively-priced Oyster Bay wine is loaded with lots of lively, penetrating fruit characters, a rich concentration of tropical and gooseberry flavors, and an abundant New Zealand bouquet. As these guys say: ‘Sometimes the world really is your oyster,’… and we believe em."

"90 Points - The Oyster Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2004 from Marlborough, New Zealand (90 points $19) is a harbinger of much more to come from this region and may cause nervousness among Australian sauvignon winemakers who charge rather more for their wines. It has fragrant crystal-clear passionfruit and lemon blossom aromas, delicate but intense fruit flavours and excellent overall balance."

"If you want to buy branded wines, two countries’ products stand out: Chile and New Zealand. From NZ, is 2006 Oyster Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc which is a textbook Sauvignon Blanc."

"91 Points - Oyster Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, 2004 ($19): …This is such a fabulously enjoyable drink. Packed to the gills with passionfruit and lychee flavours with wrings of lemon and lime keeping it tight, it is a drink I could tuck into all summer long. Drink now."

"5 Stars"

"5 Stars - This bright and bouncy young NZ dry white is a delightful expression of its grape variety with vibrant passionfruit, nectarine and lychee characters infused with fresh acidity. For serious dining, one might opt for a complex chardonnay but for casual meals, most Asian cuisines and all manner of seafoods, the Kiwis have the ideal wine: Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, Enjoy."

"90 Points - The Oyster Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2004 from Marlborough, New Zealand (90 points $19) is a harbinger of much more to come from this region and may cause nervousness among Australian sauvignon winemakers who charge rather more for their wines. It has fragrant crystal-clear passionfruit and lemon blossom aromas, delicate but intense fruit flavours and excellent overall balance."