WTN: Brancott Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2006

Gail and I went to PF Chang's last evening, and she was in the mood for wine, so we got a bottle of Brancott (NZ) Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2006. ABV 13%.
It is my first from this winery. Might not have been the best fit with the chicken lettuce wraps and the very spicy Kung Pao Chicken, but it was good nonetheless. I am finishing the bottle as I write this, and the color is a pale golden in hue. There is a spicy fruitiness on the nose, maybe citrus. There is a nice acidity and zingy taste , ironically, my first sip was almost bland, but then it exploded with fruit and pepper.

This is definitely one I'll keep an eye out for in the store. $34 in the restaurant. Aside: I finally noticed the alcohol tax rate on the receipt, and I think my eyes bugged a little - 22.017%! sheesh...

Oh yeah, this was a screwcap.

Robert, was the green label Brancott? If so the restaurant sure got their $$ worth. if you see their reserve for under $18 try it.

I'll look for the reserve. I had never really heard of this one before, so I thought I'd try it. The young waitress suggested the Kim Crawford Sauv Blanc, but it was 38, and I'd never heard of that one either.

Robert, the Kim Crawford is a very good SB.
There is an Open Mike: NZ SB on the forum. I will bump up for you now.

Bob

I'll look for that one at the store as well.

Robert, the Kim Crawford is as Bob said, a very good wine. I also like their unoaked chardonnay. The Brancott reserve should be in the same ballpark as the Crawford pricewise. I think they both go for about $16.50 - $17.00 here in Lexington.

Gail and I went to PF Chang's last evening, and she was in the mood for wine, so we got a bottle of Brancott (NZ) Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2006. ABV 13%.
It is my first from this winery. Might not have been the best fit with the chicken lettuce wraps and the very spicy Kung Pao Chicken, but it was good nonetheless. I am finishing the bottle as I write this, and the color is a pale golden in hue. There is a spicy fruitiness on the nose, maybe citrus. There is a nice acidity and zingy taste , ironically, my first sip was almost bland, but then it exploded with fruit and pepper.

This is definitely one I'll keep an eye out for in the store. $34 in the restaurant. Aside: I finally noticed the alcohol tax rate on the receipt, and I think my eyes bugged a little - 22.017%! sheesh...

Oh yeah, this was a screwcap.

I've had a Brancott SB in a restaurant. I don't know if it's the same one you had or not, but it was $25/bottle. It was very good, but not quite as good as Kim Crawford in my opinion.

Gail and I went to PF Chang's last evening, and she was in the mood for wine, so we got a bottle of Brancott (NZ) Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2006. ABV 13%.
It is my first from this winery. Might not have been the best fit with the chicken lettuce wraps and the very spicy Kung Pao Chicken, but it was good nonetheless. I am finishing the bottle as I write this, and the color is a pale golden in hue. There is a spicy fruitiness on the nose, maybe citrus. There is a nice acidity and zingy taste , ironically, my first sip was almost bland, but then it exploded with fruit and pepper.

This is definitely one I'll keep an eye out for in the store. $34 in the restaurant. Aside: I finally noticed the alcohol tax rate on the receipt, and I think my eyes bugged a little - 22.017%! sheesh...

Oh yeah, this was a screwcap.

I've had a Brancott SB in a restaurant. I don't know if it's the same one you had or not, but it was $25/bottle. It was very good, but not quite as good as Kim Crawford in my opinion.

I actually visited a wine store that's nearest my home, and found Kim Crawford 2006 SB @ 16.99 (less 10% Thirsty Thursday discount). I got both bottles they had on the shelf, plus a few other assorted wines. I may wait until my sis and BIL come out for their visit in October to open one.

KC will be a great wine Robert! Look forward to your impressions.

I actually visited a wine store that's nearest my home, and found Kim Crawford 2006 SB @ 16.99 (less 10% Thirsty Thursday discount). I got both bottles they had on the shelf, plus a few other assorted wines. I may wait until my sis and BIL come out for their visit in October to open one.

Robert, be daring. Open one now and the other when your sis and BIL visit.

I actually visited a wine store that's nearest my home, and found Kim Crawford 2006 SB @ 16.99 (less 10% Thirsty Thursday discount). I got both bottles they had on the shelf, plus a few other assorted wines. I may wait until my sis and BIL come out for their visit in October to open one.

Robert, be daring. Open one now and the other when your sis and BIL visit.

Sue, returning to the subject of "Brancott" (Montana):

1. Are they still the biggest wine producer in NZ?
2. In the Montana lineup, what is marketed over here as Brancott is one step above the Stoneleigh and one step below the Brancott reserve. Are there more labels in their lineup? I see from their website that they have a "Terroir Series," but I see no evidence of Stoneleigh, even though I continue to see it on shelves here.

TIA
Mark Lipton

Robert, be daring. Open one now and the other when your sis and BIL visit.

As we are in the midst of a remodel project, I wouldn't be able to do a really good wine justice. I'd rather save it for Sis, and maybe open the other on OTBN or some such time.

Great Robert, maybe a few of us can taste same evening and post thoughts. We could use the Open Mike thread we have running on NZ SB?

I actually visited a wine store that's nearest my home, and found Kim Crawford 2006 SB @ 16.99 (less 10% Thirsty Thursday discount). I got both bottles they had on the shelf, plus a few other assorted wines. I may wait until my sis and BIL come out for their visit in October to open one.

Robert, be daring. Open one now and the other when your sis and BIL visit.

Sue, returning to the subject of "Brancott" (Montana):

1. Are they still the biggest wine producer in NZ?
2. In the Montana lineup, what is marketed over here as Brancott is one step above the Stoneleigh and one step below the Brancott reserve. Are there more labels in their lineup? I see from their website that they have a "Terroir Series," but I see no evidence of Stoneleigh, even though I continue to see it on shelves here.

TIA
Mark Lipton

Montana - now part of Pernod Ricard, which is NZ's biggest wine producer. There's a heap of labels with a sauvignon blanc in the lineup. They classify the labels as Super Premium, Premium, and Value. I'll use SP, P and V to denote the classification in the following list
Montana is Brancott in the USA.

V - Azure Bay (UK only),
P - Bensen Block,
P - Boundary,
SP - Cottage Block,
SP - Church Road (Hawkes Bay),
V - Corbans White Label,
P - Corbans Homestead,
SP - Corbans Private Bin,
SP - Corbans Cottage Block,
V - Five Flax,
SP - Huntaway Reserve,
P - Longridge,
P - Montana Classic,
SP - Montana Reserve
SP - Montana Terroir Series (single vineyard wines),
SP - Montana Letter Series (the top in the Montana range),
V - Murray Ridge,
P - Saints,
SP - Stoneleigh,
SP - Stoneleigh Rapaura,
V - Timara,
SP - Triplebank,
P - Tylers Stream,
P - Zed

Phew..... Link to the list here
http://www.pernod-ricard-nz.com/Pages/w ... index.html

Cheers,
Sue

Montana - now part of Pernod Ricard, which is NZ's biggest wine producer. There's a heap of labels with a sauvignon blanc in the lineup. They classify the labels as Super Premium, Premium, and Value. I'll use SP, P and V to denote the classification in the following list
Montana is Brancott in the USA.

Many thanks, Sue. I was aware of the Pernod Ricard connection from my visit there in '01, but made the mistake of looking for the full lineup on montana.co.nz -- silly me!

V - Azure Bay (UK only),
P - Bensen Block,
P - Boundary,
SP - Cottage Block,
SP - Church Road (Hawkes Bay),
V - Corbans White Label,
P - Corbans Homestead,
SP - Corbans Private Bin,
SP - Corbans Cottage Block,
V - Five Flax,
SP - Huntaway Reserve,
P - Longridge,
P - Montana Classic,
SP - Montana Reserve
SP - Montana Terroir Series (single vineyard wines),
SP - Montana Letter Series (the top in the Montana range),
V - Murray Ridge,
P - Saints,
SP - Stoneleigh,
SP - Stoneleigh Rapaura,
V - Timara,
SP - Triplebank,
P - Tylers Stream,
P - Zed

Phew..... Link to the list here
http://www.pernod-ricard-nz.com/Pages/w ... index.html

Cheers,
Sue

Phew, indeed! I was quite surprised to find CJ Pask, Gibbston Valley and Lawson's Dry Hills all on the list owned by Pernod Ricard. I don't think (though I could easily be mistaken) that CJ Pask was owned by them in '01 when I was there. I do hope that the winemaking hasn't suffered, but from what I know of them Pernod Ricard seem to have a pretty light hand when it comes to management.

Thanks again,
Mark Lipton

Phew, indeed! I was quite surprised to find CJ Pask, Gibbston Valley and Lawson's Dry Hills all on the list owned by Pernod Ricard. I don't think (though I could easily be mistaken) that CJ Pask was owned by them in '01 when I was there. I do hope that the winemaking hasn't suffered, but from what I know of them Pernod Ricard seem to have a pretty light hand when it comes to management.

Thanks again,
Mark Lipton

Lawsons Dry Hills, CJ Pask and Gibbston Valley are not owned by Pernod Ricard - they are just distributed by Pernod Ricard.
The giant company does own Framingham, though (purchased in 2004).
Cheers,
Sue