Review: Wines of Waipapa Bay, 2019 Vintage

Review: Wines of Waipapa Bay, 2019 Vintage

Review: Wines of Waipapa Bay, 2019 Vintage

New Zealand’s Waipapa Bay Wines recently began a corporate sponsorship of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), which is a fairly self-explanatory charity, I think. Coinciding with that, Waipapa Bay recently dropped three new white wines, all from Marlborough, and all of which we had the pleasure of checking out. Let’s give them a spin.

2019 Waipapa Bay Chardonnay Marlborough – Initially mild and lively, the oak is decidedly restrained in this chardonnay, letting the fruit-heavy notes of spiced apples and pear crisp come to the fore. The finish is a bit on the chewy side, with notes of pastry dough prominent, above the fruit character. B

2019 Waipapa Bay Pinot Gris Marlborough – Boldly tropical, just as expected, with a layer of peach and apricot on top of the pineapple and mango. Lightly floral, but a bit too sweet throughout, with a hint of coconut cream on the back end. B+

2019 Waipapa Bay Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough – Crisp, tropical, and iconically kiwi, this sauvignon blanc exudes pineapple and mango notes, with the lightest note of lemon peel and fresh-cut grass to dial the fruit back with acidity. One of the better-balanced NZ sauvignon blancs on the market, especially at this price. A-

each $15 / waipapabaywines.com

2019 Waipapa Bay Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough

$15
9

Rating

9.0/10

A veteran journalist, the author of four books, a published poet, and an award-winning winemaker, Christopher Null has more than 25 years of experience writing about wine and spirits. He founded Drinkhacker in 2007. He also writes regularly about the science of booze for WIRED and is an occasional contributor to ADI's Distiller magazine. He has been a judge for both the American Distilling Institute Judging of Craft Spirits and Whiskies of the World spirits competitions and often works as a consultant, developing formal tasting notes for spirits brands around the world.

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