Duck Hunter Wines, Marlborough (New Zealand) Sauvignon Blanc 2018

 This is an excellent example of a style of Sauvignon Blanc that’s becoming ever more prominent in Marlborough:  Fully ripe, well short of pungent, broad in texture, generous in flavor, and soft in finish.  The fruit profile leans more toward melon than citrus, but think honeydew melon freshened with a little squirt of lime.  This is pretty far removed stylistically from ultra-intense wines like Cloudy Bay that grabbed the world by the lapels a generation ago, but there’s no denying its deliciousness or breadth of appeal across the spectrum of wine lovers.  A Platinum Award winner at the 2019 San Diego International Wine and Spirits Challenge.