Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand 2023

Family-owned and fiercely independent, Spy Valley is named for the nearby U.S. satellite monitoring station hidden in New Zealand’s Waihopai Valley. Since the 1990s, the Johnson family has farmed over 180 hectares of estate vineyards once considered too arid and unforgiving for quality wine. Today, Spy Valley is a benchmark for sustainably produced Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and one of the few remaining 100% Kiwi-owned producers in the region.

• WINEMAKER: Wendy Stuckey & Emily Gaspard-Clark

• FARMING: Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand certified; Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW) certified

• VARIETY: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

• TERROIR: Estate vineyards in the Waihopai Valley of Marlborough, where stony soils and a dry, windy climate yield low-yielding vines with concentrated fruit.

• VINIFICATION: Fruit harvested at peak ripeness under ideal conditions, then gently pressed and cold settled. Fermented primarily in stainless steel with a small portion in seasoned oak using aromatic yeast strains.

• AGING: Short maturation in tank and neutral oak to preserve varietal freshness

• TASTING NOTES: Intensely aromatic with floral lift, citrus peel, and tropical fruits. The palate is driven by lime and passionfruit, underscored by a chalky minerality and a crisp, mouthwatering finish.

• FOOD PAIRINGS: Goat cheese, ceviche, green papaya salad, oysters with yuzu mignonette

• SCORES: 90 – James Suckling