Oh dear, someone said something negative about Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and then had the audacity to publish it. Jane MacQuitty has dared to critisise the quality of the 2008 vintage and despite hardly being the only person to do so is decried as being “unfair”. She actually goes on to praise a couple of Marlborough Sauvignons but have a look yourself.
If Jane had said something positive I’m sure she would be being praised by Marlborough producers, but that’s how things go.
This has always been a risk with the high percentage of Sauvignon we export. A few crook reviews and the tide could easily start to turn. Varietal fashion is rather fickle and regional knowledge not particularly great. Don’t believe me? Check this out.
The best way to deal this is inovate and persue quality, which may mean lowering those yeilds a ton or ten (per hectare).
UPDATE: further compaint in the Marlborough Express. One producer even describing it as a poor peice of journalism! This despite praise of some wines. For years Kiwi producers have done very well out of wine journalists but if things don’t go your way….
That no one will own up to a less than stellar vintage shows just how much pressure many producers are under in the presant climate.