Wine Review: Matua Makes the Grade
Thursday, January 21, 2010 by Michal The Joggler Kapral
Matua Estate Paretai Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (about $20US, $25 Cdn)
Made with fruit from the Awatere Valley in the Marlborough region of New Zealand, the Paretai has floral and mild honeycomb aromas and a deceptively light straw color. The first sip brings a powerful hit of tropical fruit and hints of honey flowers, with zippy white grapefruit and delicate pear and apricot closing out the whirlwind of tastes. This wine has excellent balance and much more intrigue than the usual grassy citrus-dominated Sauvignon Blanc. When people rave about great New Zealand wines, hopefully this is the kind of bottle they’re talking about. It’s aromatic and flavorful without being either cloying or acidic – a showstopper from the first sniff to the last remnants of the long-lingering finish.
Quaffability Rating: 91
Made with fruit from the Awatere Valley in the Marlborough region of New Zealand, the Paretai has floral and mild honeycomb aromas and a deceptively light straw color. The first sip brings a powerful hit of tropical fruit and hints of honey flowers, with zippy white grapefruit and delicate pear and apricot closing out the whirlwind of tastes. This wine has excellent balance and much more intrigue than the usual grassy citrus-dominated Sauvignon Blanc. When people rave about great New Zealand wines, hopefully this is the kind of bottle they’re talking about. It’s aromatic and flavorful without being either cloying or acidic – a showstopper from the first sniff to the last remnants of the long-lingering finish.
Quaffability Rating: 91
Labels: new zealand, Sauvignon Blanc, white wine review
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Michal Kapral has been enjoying wine at home since way before he was of legal age. The editor-in-chief of Canadian Running magazine runs marathons to burn off all the calories he consumes on wine and cheese. Kapral spent some time living in Italy as a teenager, solidifying his appreciation for all things wine-related. In his days as a journalism student, he was likely one of the youngest – and poorest – subscribers to Wine Spectator magazine. In 1999, Kapral turned down a job at a winery to work at Captivate, where he spent 11 years as a news editor.