Lawsons Dry Hills Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2024

Lawsons Dry Hills Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand, 2024

Grape: 100% Sauvignon Blanc, certified sustainable, 5+ years' ageing potential

Producer Tasting Note:

This wine has tempting aromatics with lots of passionfruit, floral notes, melon and a gentle underlying herbaceous character. The palate has strong citrus and passionfruit flavours with a distinct chalky finish. This wine is dry, refreshing and delicious!

2024 was perfect growing season for Sauvignon Blanc. A relatively cool period of flowering meant that crop levels were low by historic standards. A long, a dry sunny growing season followed, and the grapes were harvested in perfect condition. This was also our earliest ever harvest. This wine is 50% from our Awatere vineyard, 45% from the Woodward vineyard (just is a few hundred metres from the winery) and the remaining 5% from our Waihopai block. Low crop levels ensured texture, weight and flavour intensity. This combined with dry sunny weather achieved deliciously ripe and flavoursome grapes.

Each parcel of grapes was picked as it reached optimum ripeness with maximum passionfruit characters and while the acidity was still bright and crisp. The grapes were gently pressed before being fermented in stainless steel tanks with selected cultured yeast. We also fermented 10% with wild yeast in old French barriques to give added complexity. This wine is a small blend of components that stood out for aromatic intensity, flavour concentration and texture."

Critics' Tasting Notes:

"Aromas of lemon peel, lime leaves, jalapenos, wet river stones and white pepper. The palate is light-bodied with bright acidity and a generous texture with a clean finish. Very mineral and tightly wound. Drink now. Screw cap."

James Suckling, March 2025

"Elegant and enticing fragrances of white fleshed tropical fruits, juicy citrus and white peach. A fine layer of lees, a whisper of flinty stones and angelica leaf add complexity. A delicious wine on the palate, salivating and satin in texture, a backbone of flavours along with complexity and weight from barrel that reflect the bouquet wash over the palate. Well made, dry on the finish and lengthy. Best drinking from day of purchase through 2029."

Rated "Outstanding" & 95/100 points Cameron Douglas MS, February 2025

"Black currant leaf and herbal aromas with hints of nettle. Electric and vibrant with lemon and gooseberry notes. Lip smacking and delicious."

95/100 points International Wine Challenge, 2025

Food Match: Fresh cheeses, herb or lemon flavours, seafood such as oysters, clams, mussels in tomato sauce, white fish, seafood pasta in tomato sauce, poached fish with herbs, herbed chicken, green vegetables, dill, parsley, chervil, basil, thyme, fennel, tarragon, lemongrass, chilli.