Braided River Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (Marlborough, NZ)
$18.95, Screwcap, 13%
Source: Sample
http://www.braidedriver.com/

I’ve opened up three Savvies tonight, two fumé styles and this wine; which I understand is unoaked, cheaper and from Marlborough, but works as a perfect ‘control’ Savvy.

Put simply, this is an unpretentious wine that is pleasant enough for it’s $18.95 pricepoint, and very fair indeed for the $14.95 a Google search tells me it can be purchased for.

Built in the tropical vein, the Braided River Sauvignon Blanc has a nose of guava and citrus tang, topped with a little Wizz Fizz sweetness. Palate is broad, soft and round, showing citrus and candied banana fruit and enough mid palate richness to make this perfectly quaffable.

It’s perhaps a bit chubby and ill defined for higher points, but again, it performs more than adequately given it’s modest price. 16/87