Mahi Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough (2023) 2023

Mahi is Brian Bicknell's take on what Marlborough Sauvignon can be. After fifteen years making wine around the world, he came home in the 1990s convinced the region was making one loud, samey style - and built Mahi to do the opposite. Most Marlborough Sauvignon is made in steel to keep it sharp and zingy. Mahi goes further: some of the wine is fermented in old oak barrels and left to settle on its lees for months, which rounds off the sharp edge and builds a fuller, creamier feel in the mouth. The oak is there for richness, not flavour - you taste the fruit, not the wood. The result is ripe citrus and stone fruit with a fresh, green lift, but softer and rounder than the Marlborough norm, finishing long and smooth rather than tart. Serve well chilled, around 8-10°C.