Mark Mannebach

8.9

Lighter PN with cranberry and strawberry notes and a smooth finish. — 4 months ago

Robert Swart

8.9

Christmas Eve wine. Flavors of grapefruit, white peach and slight lime. — 4 years ago

Debbie Bouma

10

Brings back so many memories, and the significant taste is real. When you have been to the estate, you wil never forget this taste. You hate it or you love it. — 5 years ago

with John

Mark

8.9

Nice- light and smooth — 6 years ago

Ellen Clifford

9.1

I’m just now catching up on adding my notes on this! Smith & Sheth always makes me happy. Even just on the nose this SB puts on a show, ripe fruit and minerality dancing quite elegantly. On the palate the show goes on although you can’t watch it because the wine is in your mouth and you don’t have eyes there. I hope. I get good acid, an essence of effervescence and flowers, gooseberries and a mango event. I drink CRU up I do! — 6 years ago

Reese

9.0

Crisp with good citrus balance — 7 years ago

Clayton R Strong

9.0

For the money this is a gem, little sweet lacking some acidity but on a hot day I’d gladly drink this. — 7 years ago

with Tiffany

Stuart Pollack

9.4

Amazing $20 Pinot Noir from New Zealand. Bold fruit flavor and long intense finish. Not as elegant as a more expensive Pinot Noir but a brilliant wine for very little cost. — 5 months ago

David Menkes

9.5

Oooo…buttery - amazing balance. And can’t beat the price! $15 — 4 years ago

Megan Ogura

9.2

Nice light Sauvignon, easy drinker — 5 years ago

Danny Martinez

9.0

Good ripe fruit taste..Great Wednesday night drinking… — 5 years ago

Lindsey Roehrenbeck

9.0

Grassy, green apple, not too sour. One of hubs’ favs. — 6 years ago

Jordan Choo

9.5

Fantastic summer patio wine — 7 years ago

Kelvin Prosyk

9.1

Classic New Zealand sauce blanc. Zingy, herbaceous, gooseberry.
— 7 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Villa Maria Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2024
Wairau Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand 🇳🇿

Overview
A serious, elevated expression of 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Wairau Valley, enhanced by extended lees contact (over six months), delivering layered texture, added complexity, and greater structural depth while preserving freshness.

Aromas & Flavors
Ripe citrus, white peach, passion fruit skin, crushed herbs, and subtle flinty tones lead the nose. The palate unfolds with layered citrus oils, stone fruit, gentle saline minerality, and savory nuance, showing depth beyond simple fruit expression.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied with beautiful roundness and creamy texture from lees aging, yet still driven by precise acidity. The wine carries weight without heaviness, finishing long, clean, and polished.

Food Pairings
Grilled scallops or prawns. Roasted chicken with lemon and herbs. Creamy risotto with spring vegetables. Seared halibut. Aged chèvre or Alpine-style cheeses.

Verdict
A refined, terroir-driven Sauvignon Blanc that balances complexity, texture, and freshness seamlessly. This is a serious step up from entry-level Marlborough, sophisticated, structured, and highly satisfying.

Did You Know?
The Wairau Valley is Marlborough’s original and most diverse subregion, where gravelly riverbed soils and cooling maritime influence create wines with both concentration and finesse, ideal for crafting premium, age-worthy Sauvignon Blanc expressions.

🍷 Personal Pick
This hits my sweet spot: texture, tension, and layered complexity without sacrificing brightness. A Sauvignon Blanc for Burgundy lovers who still crave freshness. — 5 months ago

Samuel Danthine

9.0

Black berries, cherry, clove, pleasant — 5 years ago

Steven Beishuizen

9.1

The 2018 is once again a very herbal expression. On the nose, tomato plant is already making itself known along with pear and starfruit. Bright and alive but with a palate again showcasing that tomato plant and green fruit. Not overly acidic here. — 5 years ago

with Anita

Arden Barnett

9.1

Sav Blanc barrel aged for over a year. Really really cool — 7 years ago

Holly Butler

9.0

2017 wild fermented. Beautiful. — 7 years ago

Michael Piaker

9.2

16 November 2018. Henry's Wine & Spirit, Brooklyn, NY. — 7 years ago