Drinks of the Month

Hunter’s Offshoot Sauvignon Blanc 2020

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on May 7 2021 at 17:30

With its pungent gooseberry and passionfruit flavours Marlborough sauvignon blanc is such a distinctive style that most people could pick it out with their eyes closed but this wine is a bit different

For a start it’s made as a ‘pet nat’ aka pétillant naturel - a gently sparkling wine which is bottled during the first fermentation instead of the second like champagne. (So basically it’s younger, fresher and less toasty)

In fact it comes from the 2020 vintage and while brimful of those typical gooseberry and passionfruit flavours that makes New Zealand sauvignon blanc so distinctive - and can sometimes be a bit overwhelming, to my palate at least - it's a gentler, more toned down version, light (12.5%), fragrant and just blissfully summery. Once you’ve opened it you’ll definitely want another glass.

The only thing I would warn you about, and it may just be my bottle, is that it bubbled over crazily when opening (it has a crown cap) so don’t shake it about. Maybe it wasn’t quite cold enough - the back label says ‘chill this wine carefully before opening it otherwise you might wear it.”

You can buy it from Jeroboams shops in London and online for £15.95.

What would I pair it with? I'm not too bothered actually. It’s just a wine to sit and sip on a warm spring evening (assuming we ever get one) and there’s nothing wrong with that. Some fresh crab crostini if you force me...

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