Land-ho! This week we have made a discovery – a New Zealand winery with vineyards on the shores of the Southern Pacific Ocean making killer Sauvignon Blanc. It feels like we’ve just sailed up to the edge of these vineyards, hopped off the ship, and were handed a glass of wine. It’s so refreshing you can feel the sea-spray, but you can skip the boat ride and just cruise to the LCBO!
Tasting Notes: OTU is 100% Sauvignon Blanc that has been grown on the estate’s vineyards. The wine explodes with aromas of passionfruit, lime zest and white nectarine. The palate is light-bodied with a long, mineral finish intertwined with yellow and green citrus, gooseberry and passion fruit.
Enjoy With: Shrimp cocktail, veggie plates and other appetizers, herb-rubbed roast chicken or turkey, and grilled vegetables with a spray of lemon. My Easter shopping list is now complete.
Style: A light-bodied, fruity white wine.
Terroir / Region: OTU’s vineyards are steps from the waters of the Southern Pacific Ocean in the Awatere Valley, the southernmost valley in the Marlborough region. Because of this positioning, the region receives the longest growing season and the most sunshine in Marlborough, giving the Sauvignon Blanc grapes maximum ‘hang time’ (ripening time), to build distinctively bold, ripe fruit flavours.
Producer: The ancient Otuwhero River, which gives the OTU winery its name, is fed by melting snows from the surrounding mountain peaks. This provides the estate with seams of rich alluvial gravels that rise through the silt and clay soils, delivering bold minerality, intensity and ripe opulence to OTU’s wines.
Availability: OTU Sauvignon Blanc is available in the Vintages section of your local LCBO and for online ordering on Saturday, April 3, but some stores may already have it on the shelf. Sail over to the LCBO to grab your bottle and tell the family so you can share sips over Zoom this Easter!
Check LCBO store inventory
Price: $17.95
LCBO#: 17549
Size: 750mL
Alcohol Content:12.5% alc./vol.
