2019 Sauvignon Blanc Abstract Three Rows

Founded in 2013, Blank Canvas is one of Marlborough's most exciting labels to emerge in the past decade. I have yet to find a wine from Blank Canvas that I wouldn’t recommend wholeheartedly. Established by Marlborough-based international wine consultant Matt Thomson and his wife Sophie Parker-Thomson, the pair buy fruit and make the wines at a contract facility, but don't get snobbish about that. The influence of Thomson's yearly trips to make wine in Europe is reflected in the restraint and elegance of their wines. This is natural winemaking without the faults: cloudy juice, wild fermentation, no filtration etc. If you think you don't like New Zealand Sauvignon, their Abstract cuvée will change your mind. The Chardonnays offer excellent texture, and the Gibbston Pinot Noir, Una Volta, is a delight, including 2019, their latest release. The Hawke’s Bay Syrah usually contains a portion of Grüner Veltliner skins, but in 2020, it’s 100% Syrah due to the difference in ripening times between the two.