Elephant Hill, Element Series, Sea Sauvignon Blanc, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand 2016

A Kiwi Sauvignon of real class and quality that justifies its premium price tag. The Element Series is a limited-edition, terroir-focused range of varietal wines that showcase fruit from a specific site – here the shingle soils of the Te Awanga vineyard, cooled by the South Pacific Ocean. Half the grapes were fermented in 500L oak puncheons and the wine spent 16 months on lees, giving gentle spice and creamy complexity to the palate of tropical fruit, grassy hints and a seam of saline minerals. Crisp acidity gives elegance and structure. Seek out the current 2018 vintage too.