Kim Crawford, Constellation's Sauvignon Blanc-driven brand from New Zealand, has released a new line of single vineyard 'Small Parcels' wines including a single site Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris. I found the Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc particularly impressive.The 2014 Chardonnay hails from Hawke's Bay and is called 'Wild Grace.' It's a lovely wine that balances spice aromas and rich yeasty battonage notes with racy kaffir lime leaf, apricot and white peach flavors. I love it. The winery suggests pairing it with grilled salmon with creme fraiche and dill. ($30, 92 Points)
I also loved the 2015 'Spitfire' Small Parcels Sauvignon Blanc drawn from a single vineyard (Growing Horizon) in the Central Awatere sub-zone of Marlborough. It has great concentration of flavor and a zesty personality with gooseberry, lemongrass, passion fruit and white grapefruit flavors. It's hefty enough to match with rich seafood like prawns or scallops and would also be brilliant with a matured goat's milk cheese like Humboldt Fog or Garrotxa. This is a nice step up from the winery's delicious entry-level Sauvignon Blanc ($26, 93 Points)
