Isabel Estate Sauvignon Blanc

Boyhood aspirations of being a pilot rarely come to fruition. Boyhood aspirations of being a pilot and then establishing your own winery are even more rare. But, if your name is Mike Tiller, things will be different. In 1980, Mike Tiller, after having frequently flown over a certain pocket of land in the Wairau Valley in Marlborough, at the northern tip of New Zealand’s south island, spotted certain characteristics that were worth further investigation. They were: a surprising resistance to frost even on the coldest days, fertile soil and diverse aspects. Mike and his wife, Robyn, built a winery on the site and named it after his mother, Isabel and became one of the trail-blazers of the soon to be iconic Marlborough region. Isabel (not the mother) remains one of the grand old ladies of the area. And what makes Isabel special? Extended sunshine hours, a long, cool growing season, free-draining gravel with a thin layer of tight clay in the subsoil, cool and dry inland sites, barren, stony early ripening sites and seabreeze moderated coastal sites. All wines produced at Isabel use 100% grapes grown on the estate, allowing the various parcels to be terroir specific and unique, estate made and estate bottled. Full control. Farming is a combination of certified organics and sustainable systems with emphasis on small batch winemaking to create complex wines with a sense of place. And this boils down nicely to Sauvignon Blanc, arguably Marlborough’s most famous wine export. Early morning harvesting retains freshness and purity with separate block fermentation. A short period of skin contact increases flavour extraction before being transferred to stainless steel tanks with 5% sitting in French oak for texture and complexity. This process takes on average 6 months before bottling. And what is unveiled post purchase? Grapefruit and passionfruit aromas, touched by a herbaceousness and layered tropical fruits with a lively citrus whizz, a mineral, flinty fizz and a reassuring creamy hug. A long, clean, refreshing finish rounds things off very nicely. It’s obvious why this region and grape are so universally popular.