Family Estates Cowslip Valley Sauvignon Blanc

“Delicately grassy sauvignon blanc with lemongrass, pink grapefruit, guava and subtle passionfruit flavours. Quite a weighty, textural wine with a peppery texture. Good food wine.”
90 POINTS
– Bob Campbell, www.therealreview.com, Oct 2018

“Brilliant, light straw-yellow colour, paler on the rim.  The nose is initially a little restrained in expression with a soft heart of gooseberry fruit entwined with cut-grass, net and cool-spectrum notes, along with fresh herbs and green capsicums.  This builds in depth with aeration.  Dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate has swwetly rich and vibrant fruit flavours of gooseberries along with tropical fruits and green stonefruits, and subtle notes of cool-spectrum cut-grass elements and nuances of green capsicums.  The mouthfeel is lively with fresh, lacy acidity, and the wine flows easily along a very fine line, leading to a thirst-quenching, zesty finish.  This is a juicy and rich, vibrant and lively Sauvignon Blanc with gooseberry and tropical fruit notes, and subtle cool-spectrum elements.”
4 STARS
-Raymond Chan, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, Apr 2018

“Bright, light straw-yellow colour with slight green hues, lighter on the rim.  The nose is firmly pack with deep and punchy aromas of ripe gooseberry and passionfruit with green stone-fruit notes, a suggestion of snow peas and green beans, and wet-stone minerals.  Dry to taste and medium-bodied, this has a rich and well concentrated, deeply packed palate with a strong core of ripe passionfruit and gooseberries, with nuances of tropical fruits, snow peas and green beans.  The fruit richness and sweetness is balanced by a fine-grained textural thread and lacy, refreshing acidity which carry the wine to an elegant and sustained finish.  This is a rich, deep and densely packed Sauvignon Blanc with passionfruit, gooseberry, pen and bean flavours on a fine-textured, refreshing palate.”
5 STARS
-Raymond Chan, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, April 2017

“Brilliant, even, pale straw-yellow colour with some green hues. The nose is full with concentrated and harmoniously melded aromas of fresh passionfruit, green stone-fruits with tropical fruits and exotic white floral lift that blossoms in the glass. Dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate is soft, mouth-filling with broad and rich, sweet flavours of pungent passionfruit, tropical fruits and green stone-fruits, lifted with floral notes. This has a smoothly concentrated core, with the wine following very fine-grained phenolic texture, with underlying racy acidity. The palate carries to a flavoursome, long and sustained passion-fruity finish. This is a rich and sweetly concentrated, passion-fruity Sauvignon Blanc with a smooth, fine-textured mouthfeel, freshness and length.”
5 STARS
18.5/20 POINTS
– Raymond Chan, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, Jan 2016

“The 2015 Cowslip Sauvignon Blanc has sweaty/musky and struck flint notes over a core of lemonade, lime leaves and elderflower, plus a waft of wet pebbles. Light to medium-bodied, the palate further instils a lot of character, with mineral notes supporting the herbal and citrus flavors and plenty of lively acidity, finishing with very good length.”
90 POINTS
– Lisa Perrotti-Brown, www.erobertparker.com, #224, April 2016

“Fruit from the ‘Cowslip’ vineyard, Waihopi, cool-fermented in stainless-steel to 13.0% alc. and 3.2 g/l RS. Brilliant straw-yellow colour with slight green hues, pale on rim. This has a softly full and deeply packed nose of pungent passionfruit aromas. The density and concentration grows and the aromatics are pure and focussed. Dry to taste and medium-bodied, tightly concentrated thiol-passionfruit flavours provide a fine-textured guiding line for the palate. Some mineral and fresh herb notes emerge. The acidity is soft, and the sweet fruit is well-balanced, flowing with positive drive, leading to a refined, lingering dry finish. This is an elegant, tightly concentrated Sauvignon Blanc with intense passionfruit flavours.”
4 STARS
– Raymond Chan, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, Sept 2014

“A powerful rendition packed with passionfruit, nectarine and musk notes with subtle herbaceous lift on the nose. It’s rich, rounded and textured with superb fruit integrity, finishing long and delicious.”
5 STARS
– Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, www.wineorbit.co.nz, Jan 2015

“The 2013 vintage is mouthfilling, with generous, tropical-fruit flavours of pineapple and passionfruit and a well-rounded finish. Weighty and very sweet-fruited, it has excellent delicacy and depth.”
4.5 STARS
– Michael Cooper, www.michaelcooper.co.nz

“The 2013 Cowslip Valley Sauvignon Blanc displays notes of nettles and freshly mown grass with an undercurrent of ripe pears and melon. Medium-bodied with a lively line of crisp acidity to frame the wine in the mouth, it finishes with a medium-long persistence of herbal notes.”
– Lisa-Perrotti Brown, eRobertParker.com #209, Oct 2013

“Punchy tropical fruit aromas and an elegant, lively, well-structured palate with good length.”
– Winestate Magazine, Special Edition 2013

“Bright, very pale straw-yellow colour, lighter on rim. The nose is fine, but well-packed with ripe tropical fruit aromas entwined with gooseberries, green capsicum, herb and mineral notes. Dry to taste and light-medium bodied, delicate and subtle flavours of gooseberries, tropical fruits and herbs are lifted by some esters elements. The mouthfeel is light and soft with refined textures and a little acid cut provides good tension. The flavours carry smoothly to a light, lingering finish of gooseberries and herbs. This is a light, softly-textured Sauvignon Blanc with a delicate herbal lift.”
4 STARS
– Raymond Chan, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, March 2014

“From the Waihopai Valley, this appealing sauvignon shows nicely lifted aromas of peach, feijoa, lime zest and fresh herbs on the nose. The palate is juicy and lively with attractive fruit intensity, finishing elegantly dry. Vibrant and zesty.”
4 STARS
– Sam Kim, www.wineorbit.co.nz, March 2014

“Gentle, soft-textured wine with exotic guava, pear, nectarine and mango flavours. Impressively pure Sauvignon Blanc with charm. Very appealing. Distinctive and unusual.”
4.5 STARS
94 POINTS
– Bob Campbell, www.bobcampbell.nz

“It’s beautifully ripe on the nose displaying white peach, feijoa and herbaceous characters. The palate is succulent and nicely weighted with perfectly pitched acidity, finishing long and crisp. A well-structured sauvignon.”
4.5 STARS
91 POINTS
– Sam Kim, www.wineorbit.co.nz, Sept 2012

“Fruit from the ‘Cowslip Valley’ vineyard in the Waihopi Valley, cool-fermented in stainless-steel to 12.5% alc. and 3.0 g/L rs. Brilliant pale straw-yellow with slight green hues, even coloured. The bouquet is very intense and tightly concentrated with white floral, lime, gooseberry and minerally aromas, expressed with great purity. Dry and very tightly concentrated, steel, minerals and gooseberries are expressed with real finesse. The mouthfeel is very refined, showing excellent phenolic handling. Crisp, refined acidity drives the palate, but there is an underlying richness and juiciness that is set to blossom. This has a very sustained, long and tightly bound finish with gooseberry fruit and minerally notes. Dry and tightly concentrated with minerally flavours, this pure Sauvignon Blanc will show greater richness over the next 2-3 years.” 4 STARS 18+/20
– Raymond Chan, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, Sept 2012

“Bright, fresh and tangy Sauvignon Blanc with grapefruit, capsicum and gooseberry flavours. Lean, crisp wine with assertive acidity.”
– Bob Campbell MW, www.bobswinereviews.com, Oct 2012

“The 2012 is a medium to full-bodied wine, crisp and dry, with good intensity of fresh, vibrant tropical-fruit flavours, delicate and lingering.”
4 STARS
– Michael Cooper, Michael Cooper’s Buyer’s Guide to New Zealand Wines 2013

“Scented and lively, with very good balance and depth of ripely herbaceous flavours, cut with zingy acidity.”
– Winestate Magazine, March 2013

“Lifted, vibrant, perfumed bouquet with hints of tropicals and some herbaceous notes. Palate elegant, yet rich and complex, with lifted, grassy, varietal fruit characters.”
5 STARS
TOP 40
– Winestate Magazine, Special Edition 2012

“From the Babich Family Estates Single Vineyard range, the fruit for this wine was sourced from their Cowslip Valley Vineyard in the Waihopai Valley. A unique wine – fresh garden peas, herbs and length.”
– TiZwine.com, February 2013

“Fruit from the ‘Cowslip Valley’ vineyard in the Waihopi Valley cool-fermented in stainless-steel to 13.6% alc. and 2.9 g/L rs.Brilliant pale straw colour with green hues, very even. On nose very fine and elegant showing gooseberry fruit with restrained pungent passionfruit and exotic tropical fruit aromas, along with herb and mineral notes, all tightly bound. Dry to taste, this is a fine featured wine with excellent raciness and liveliness providing tension through the palate. Subtle, luscious gooseberry and passionfruit flavours are interwoven with tropical fruits and minerals and the wine has good drive and length.”
4 STARS
– Raymond Chan, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, Nov 2011

“Freshly scented, very lively wine from the Waihopai Valley with very good weight and depth of ripe passionfruit and herb flavours, crisp and refreshing.”
– Winestate Magazine, January 2012 & March/April 2012

“Rich and moderately concentrated Sauvignon Blanc with typical passionfruit, gooseberry and herbal/green capsicum flavours. Stylish and gently tangy wine.”
4 STARS
90 POINTS
– Bob Campbell, www.bobswinereviews.com , November 2011

“It’s beautifully ripe on the nose displaying lime zest, white peach and herbaceous characters. The palate is juicy and lively with lovely fruit intensity and a refreshing finish. Grapes were grown on their vineyard in the Waihopai Valley.”
88 POINTS
4 STARS
– Sam Kim, Wine Orbit Magazine, Issue 18, www.wineorbit.co.nz, March 2012

“Estate-grown in the Waihopai Valley, the 2011 vintage is a freshly scented, very lively wine with excellent weight and depth of ripe passionfruit and herb flavours, crisp and refreshing.”
4 STARS
– Michael Cooper, Michael Cooper’s Buyer’s Guide to New Zealand Wines 2013

“From the Waihopai Valley, this is one of Babich’s excellent Individual Vineyard Sauvignons, displaying classic herbaceous aromas combined with ripe passionfruit and feijoa characters. The palate is lively and precise showing superb concentration and racy acidity. The finish is extremely long and tasty. At its best: now to 2013.”
94 POINTS
5 STARS
– Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Oct, 2010

“Weighty wine with concentrated mineral, citrus/grapefruit and lemon grass flavours. Impressively textured wine with a lingering and pleasantly drying finish. Distinctive and classy Sauvignon Blanc.”
89 POINTS
4 STARS
-Bob Campbell, Nov, 2010

“The 2010 Cowslip Sauvignon Blanc offers intense green mango, ripe pineapple and grass notes with hints of fresh herbs. Crisp and refreshing in the mouth, the medium bodied palate lends a pleasant suggestion of silky texture with a long yeast finish. Drink it now to 2013.”
87 POINTS
– Lisa Perrotti-Brown, eRobertParker.com #197, Oct 2011

“Estate-grown in the Waihopai Valley, the 2010 vintage has real power through the palate. Weighty and fleshy, with generous tropical-fruit flavours, it is also fresh, crisp and minerally, with lovely body, vibrancy and texture and a finely poised, dry, long finish.”
5 STARS
– Michael Cooper, Michael Cooper’s Buyer’s Guide to New Zealand Wines 2012

“Slightly “sweaty armpit” aromas, leading into a weighty, rounded wine with ripe tropical-fruit flavours, showing excellent delicacy, texture and depth. It’s a very harmonious wine with fine acidity and lovely flow and richness.”
4.5 STARS
– Michael Cooper’s Wine Buyers guide to New Zealand Wines 2010

“Lifted, ‘sweaty armpit’ aromas lead into a weighty, concentrated wine with sweet-fruit delights and rich, tropical fruit flavours. One judge described the style as intense but “slightly cloying”, while another found it “powerful, but still elegant.”
4.5 STARS
– Winestate Magazine, March/April 2010

“Intense, weighty Sauvignon Blanc with a “Southern Valley” style flavour profile of passion fruit, green capsicum, gooseberry and box/hedge. Pungent, complex wine showing real power.”
5 STARS
Top 10 List, 2009 Sauvignon Blanc
– Bob Campbell, www.bobswinesreviews.com

“The nose is bursting with lime zest, passionfruit and capsicum characters. It’s vibrant and saturated with ripe fruit notes, a lovely juicy mouth-feel and a tasty long finish. A great-looking Sauvignon with ample fruit and an energetic palate.”
5 STARS
93 POINTS
– WineOrbit.co.nz, Sam Kim, March 2010

“Intense, weighty sauvignon blanc with “Southern Valley” style flavour profile of passionfruit, green capsicum, gooseberry and box hedge. Pungent, complex wine showing real power.”
5 STARS
95 POINTS
– Gourmet Traveller – Wine Magazine, Apr/May 2010

“This single vineyard wine shows intensely piquant gooseberry and herbal aromatics with a whiff of passion fruit. Tart gooseberry with hints of passion fruit and guava on the palate. Agreeably smooth texture.”
89 POINTS
– Tidings Magazine, Sean Wood, Canada, May, 2011