Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc Review

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc is a white wine from Oyster Bay wines in Marlborough, New Zealand.

In this review, we’ll cover the wine’s price, alcohol content, aroma, taste and more.  We’ll also share the difference between sipping this wine straight versus a paring with port wine cheese.

They released their first Sauvignon Blanc in 1991.  That vintage went ahead to win a Gold Medal and the Goulaine Trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in London.

The name “Oyster Bay” comes from a bay of the same name in Marlborough, New Zealand.

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2014 has received good marks from both Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast.

Wine Spectator gave it an 87 and Wine Enthusiast gave it an 82.  These scores are noted as GOOD:  A solid, well made wine.

And finally, the vines for their Sauvignon Blanc reside in Marlborough’s Wairau Valley.

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc Tasting

For this review I shared this wine with a friend who has a taste for Sauvignon Blanc (and also Pinot Grigio).  I knew she would be a great help and was pleased when she agreed to co-review this wine with me.

So, we opened the twist cap (typical for a New Zealand wine, given their passion for conservation) and poured a couple glasses for review.

Appearance

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc is very non-opaque and is straw colored in appearance.

We both immediately noticed a significant number of tiny bubbles suspended on the sides of the glass in this wine.  They stayed put, indicating only a little bit of effervescence.

Though they were a little slow to form, the wine’s legs were numerous, small and evenly spaced.

Aroma

We also both noticed that this is a very fragrant wine, with the aroma being noticeable from a good two feet away after pouring.

Inside that strong and fruity aroma, we noted hints of peach, sweet tangerine and perhaps a hint of honey dew melon.

We didn’t notice any sting of alcohol in the aroma.  Though, it’s possible it was masked by the fragrance.

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc alcohol content 13.0% by volume, per the bottle.

Taste

First impressions were that this wine has a “tartness” in flavor.  We both noted a green apple-like taste.  I picked up a little lemon zest as well.

Given the aroma, I was expecting a little sweet fruit in the flavor, but that didn’t occur.

With a fresh pour, a slight effervescence was noted along with just the slightest hint of sweet.  However, that dissipated quite quickly.

Finish

We both agreed that Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc is a long-finishing wine.

The finish was carried by the flavors and we both noticed them in our cheeks.  There was a slight burn in the breathe-out but we were unsure if that was just the tartness we were noting or the alcohol.

Overall Opinion

Together we summed it up as “Drinkable, likeable, but not fantastic.”

Also, we found the wine’s effervescent aspect was enjoyable.

With Port Wine Cheese Pairing

Lastly, we paired this wine with a port wine cheese after reviewing it on its own.

We found that the cheese mellowed out the tartness a little, as would be expected.  The tartness could be a bit much for some, so you may find it improves the wine’s flavor overall.

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc price $10.99.

Have you had this wine?  If so, your comments would be appreciated.

Please feel free to leave a comment below.  Cheers!