The 2025 vintage of this wine was sent in for the WineFolio Top 10 Tasting in December 2025 – and was soooo close to making the list. In fact it got me thinking – and a scurry around in the cellar brought forth a bottle of the 2016 vintage. I wondered how the older bottle – 9 years old – would compare to the youthful sibling, and in the interests of comparative tastings, I decided to combine two reviews into one.
The wines hail from Martinborough and the Palliser Estate ‘Woolshed vineyard’ – one of the area’s oldest. Their Sauvignon Blanc does have pedigree – winning the ‘Champion Sauvignon Blanc’ Trophy at the Air New Zealand Wine Awards in 2000. The region does make excellent expressions of this grape – indeed, Craggy Range are planting new vineyards along Te Muna Road in Martinborough – and where you might expect that to be all planted to Pinot Noir, in fact Sauvignon is one of the varieties being put in.
Under screw cap, the colour of the 2016 is a bright straw-green colour. The 2025 a little lighter in shade, and a bit more silver than gold. The bouquet on both is elegantly restrained, with citrus, nectarine and tropical fruits to the fore. The ’16 is more vinous and showing less fruit aroma, with hints of nougat, baked apple pie and honeycomb too. The ’25 blasts more perfume from the glass, with a touch more green – lime, jalapeno, fennel and grapefruit pith. Medium-bodied, dry and with a balance of zesty acidity, chalky minerality and silky texture, to both. The 2016 shows a prickle of barrel spice that isn’t so apparent in the current vintage – I assume bottle development is highlighting this factor. Both have long, complex and dry finishes. I’d say the older version is still within the drinking window, so look to the 2025 to last ten years as well. 2025 – 92pts; 2016 – 94pts
