I’ve picked out this wine at several past Co-op press tastings, so it felt like time to take a closer look at it. Vavasour is the name of the winery, one of the founding wineries in Marlborough’s Awatere Valley, an area once considered too cool, dry and exposed for serious viticulture.
The rooster on the Vavasour label comes from the Vavasour family crest. The imagery refers to the family’s Anglo-Norman heritage, with an early Vavasour ancestor traditionally said to have served as a wine taster for William the Conqueror!
This is the 2025 vintage and comes in at 12.5% ABV. It has collected some impressive scores, with 92 points from James Suckling, 92 points from Master Sommelier Cameron Douglas and 94 points from Bob Campbell MW. It was also one of the Double Gold Sauvignon Blancs at the 2025 New Zealand International Wine Show.
In the glass it is pale lemon, almost clear. The aromas are intense, bursting with gooseberry, passion fruit and red capsicum, followed by cut grass and citrus. The taste is equally expressive, with explosive fruit character and a crisp mix of citrus and tropical fruit. It is dry, light to medium in body and has a slightly creamy texture, while the high acidity keeps everything lively and fresh. The finish is zesty and pungent, with plenty of richness but none of the muskiness that can sometimes confuse the clarity of great Sauvignon Blanc. It is moreish and, impressively, the great flavour survives even as the wine warms up in the glass. It is excellent with food too. I tried it with chicken Kiev and it worked brilliantly.
One of my favourite Sauvignon Blancs at the moment. Available from the Co-op for £12.50.
