Champion Sauvignon Blanc: Yealands Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2021 wins big at New World Wine Awards 2021 and reveals new look .

Each year, the New World Wine Awards attract more than 1,100 entries from around New Zealand and the world to be swirled, sniffed and sipped by an independent panel of expert judges. Yealands are excited to have been awarded Champion Sauvignon Blanc and Top 50 wine for their Yealands Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2021. Yealands Rosé 2021 and Yealands Sauvignon Blanc 2021, the fastest growing Sauvignon Blanc in the UK, also won gold.

Yealands Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2021 was given 96 points with judges commenting that Yealands Wines “produces some of the most intensely expressed Sauvignon Blancs in the region. This Champion winner is stacked with passionfruit, feijoa, kaffir lime and sweet basil notes. A great gift, or serve it at a dinner party with pan-fried fish and fresh asparagus.”

Marlborough Vibrancy

“Tasting the fruit in the vineyard, the Sauvignons had incredible intensity of flavour and that classic Marlborough vibrancy,” said Natalie Christensen, Yealands Wines Chief Winemaker. “When completing our Sauvignon Blanc grading – lining up samples of the individual Sauvignon Blanc tanks from the vintage, blind tasting and rating them – it was one of the most exciting sessions I have been involved in. I had an inkling 2021 was going to be a special year for Yealands wine and it’s awesome to have been recognised as Champion Sauvignon Blanc,” said Christensen.

Vintage 2021

Late spring frosts and challenging weather during the flowering period resulted in moderate crops across Marlborough during the 2021 harvest; a warm and stable end to the growing season also resulted in Yealands’ earliest harvest on record. “We picked at our leisure without pressure from the elements during the clear warm days throughout March. Although yields were lower than average, we have the privilege of Yealands Reserve Sauvignon Blanc being solely picked from our Seaview Vineyard.

“Yealands owns a unique slice of Marlborough, which provides us the space, breadth and opportunity to make quality wines that people in New Zealand and around the world love. Our distinctive Sauvignon Blanc expression is influenced by our position right on the coast of the Awatere Valley. Accolades and awards recognise Yealands’ distinctive offering and give us confidence that the hard work we’ve put in over the past few years is paying off.” Natalie Christensen, Yealands Wines Chief Winemaker. 

Beautifully Biodiverse

In timely fashion, Yealands Reserve Range has a new look launching this month which takes inspiration from their Seaview Vineyard’s beautifully biodiverse environment. Sustainability is at the heart of Yealands’ winemaking philosophy, from the careful management of the vines and land, to the way they operate the winery and craft their wines. The new look is accompanied by light-weight bottles which are kinder to the environment, lowering freight emissions (CO2) and requiring less energy to produce.

The Yealands Reserve Range’s labels feature many of the species found in the vineyard. From the wildflowers nestled between the vines to attract beneficial insects to help with natural pest control, to the dedicated ‘Butterfly Gully’ habitat which is sheltered from the wind and planted with plentiful flora to provide a safe haven for butterflies to flourish. An abundance of butterflies helps to indicate a healthy ecosystem.

"I’m particularly proud of our native plant nursery. Many of Yealands’ native shrubs and trees are collected and grown from seed or split from existing plants, which are collected from across the vineyard and nurtured until they’re ready to be planted. This year alone, we have propagated 2,000 Kōwhai, Pohutukawa and Harakeke (Flax) and it’s really rewarding to see them flourish; a result of being sourced and cultivated in the vineyard,” said Christensen.

“It’s exciting for Yealands to be sharing our new look and we’re chuffed at the news of being named Champion Sauvignon Blanc at the New World Wine Awards 2021. We’re passionate about making great quality wine and hope that everyone who tries it, enjoys it as much as we do,” commented Tiffani Graydon, Yealands Wine Group CEO.