Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc Review

Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc comes from the Whitehaven Wine Company in Marlborough, New Zealand.

All fruit for this wine was sourced from Marlborough, per the tasting notes, and harvesting occurred primarily during the second half of March.

For readers in the US, keep in mind the seasons in New Zealand are reverse from North America.

Whitehaven suggests enjoying this wine right away. However, it will cellar for five years or so, if done carefully.

Finally, the wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks which hinted at the crispness you’ll read about below.

Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc Wine Review

Whitehaven was established by Sue and Greg White in 1994. The name comes from a combination of their last name plus “haven” which is how they described the Marlborough port they anchored their boat in, after sailing the seas for many months.

From the bottle:

Whitehaven selects only the finest quality grapes from the stony soils of the Wairau and Awatere river valleys to produce a Sauvignon Blanc that embodies the quintessential Marlborough style.

Whitehaven Wine Company

I tasted the 2022 vintage of Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc.

Appearance

In the glass, this wine poured very pale with just a bit of lemon color to it.

It was also quite leggy, with some quick falling tears sliding down the inside of the glass.

Aroma

I noted light aromas of pineapple, grapefruit and tomato leaf.

The tomato leaf aroma surprised me a bit, however it did match other reviews I’ve read. That assured me I wasn’t crazy!

A subsequent pour revealed some sweeter whiffs of peach.

There was no bite of alcohol on the palate.

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

Taste

The wine’s taste was very crisp, with notes of tart tropical fruits, the slightest hint of mild ginger and a little bit of minerality.

Clean, tasty and just a lovely sipper overall.

Finish

The wine’s finish was long lasting and crisp with some nice acidity. Quite typical of a good quality Sauvignon Blanc.

The tart fruits definitely carried the finish, significantly more than the ginger did.

Overall Opinion of Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc

Overall, I found this wine to be very enjoyable.

I especially appreciated the complexities it exhibited in both aroma and flavor.

Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc cost $17.99 as purchased from my local wine shop.

Given this is a well-crafted New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, I think it’s a great under $20 choice.

Suggested Food Pairing

I make a salad with goat cheese, dried cranberries, walnuts and mixed greens. I top it with raspberry vinaigrette.

This is exactly what would pair well with this wine!

What do you think?

Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc FAQ