Villa Maria, Marlborough (New Zealand) Sauvignon Blanc 2021

 I’ve always admired Villa Maria for being a large-scale producer that never lets the quality slip on entry-level wines or allows us to be disappointed with its upper-shelf offerings.  New Zealand producers have been making more-complex, more-age worthy Sauvignon Blancs for some time, and “Woven" fits very well within that category.  The addition of modest oak-aging here lends more to the wine’s complexity than it does to add to its flavors – the traditional green, juicy fruit and a spritz of lime.  The light layer of oak mellows the flavors without dulling them to make a very food-versatile wine.