Freddy R. Troya

9.0

South Mist Regional Reserve Parcel — Sauvignon Blanc 2025
Wairau Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand 🇳🇿

Overview
An elevated expression of South Mist Sauvignon Blanc, sourced from a select parcel in Marlborough’s Wairau Valley. Compared with the original bottling, this shows greater structure, concentration, and refinement while retaining the vibrant personality that makes Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc so immediately recognizable.

Aromas & Flavors
Highly aromatic yet beautifully controlled, with grapefruit, lime, passion fruit, guava, and fresh herbs. The tropical character is expressive without becoming overwhelming, allowing citrus and subtle green notes to provide freshness and definition.

Mouthfeel
Light- to medium-bodied with crisp, zesty acidity and considerably more structure than the standard bottling. Vibrant and energetic through the mid-palate, yet polished and delicate, leading to an exceptionally clean and persistent finish.

Food Pairings
Oysters, grilled shrimp, ceviche, goat cheese, fresh salads, sushi, or simply grilled white fish.

Verdict
A noticeable step up from the original South Mist. It keeps the aromatic exuberance Marlborough lovers expect but adds finesse, structure, and a more composed finish. Particularly impressive considering the approachable price point.

Did You Know?
The Wairau Valley is Marlborough’s historic heartland and is particularly celebrated for Sauvignon Blanc. Its abundant sunshine, cool nights, and free-draining soils help produce wines with intense aromatics while preserving the vibrant acidity that defines the region.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is where South Mist becomes considerably more interesting for me. The aromatics are still through the roof, but everything feels better controlled—more structure, more finesse, and a lovely lingering finish. Delicious, affordable, and ridiculously easy to keep around; a terrific everyday cellar staple. — 19 days ago

ADAM STROMFELD

9.6

Soft and round rolling bright black cherries surprisingly a bit new world in a good way with great lively acidity on the back end . Beautiful!! Thanks Luca! — 7 years ago

with Leonard and Joe

Tobin Trevarthen

9.3

A really funky nose that left you wondering what was in the bottle. And then, like a mist that lifts from the river - the tastes and nose showed up. A Phillipe Melka version of Washington’s best grapes. Power Bordeaux blend with Syrah added in. Soft tannins and subtle fruit kept flowing in and out. Wonderful comparison to an 06 Oakville Cab. — 7 years ago

ADAM STROMFELD

9.8

Well if this isn’t a way to finish off lunch, I don’t know what is!!! Stewed blend of peaches and apricots on the nose. Who the pallet is a long finish of rolling summer stone fruit. Perfect balance! Utopia again! — 7 years ago

with Leonard

Noah Webber

10

this is my family wine in my fraternity and my go to choice to get me DRUNK !!!! it’s so yummy and my wine game is weak so yes i 10/10 recommend !!!! — 7 years ago

Kaitlynn Stout

9.0

This was surprisingly good. Similar to a rose on my opinion. I'd drink this again. — 8 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.2

2020 vintage. Big, darkly-fruited nose that rolls over to the flavors. Medium body. Great complexity for initial and mid-palates, Finish is where things drop off a cliff. Solid banger for the price. If only some of that impressive, frontal assault could be transferred to the back end, we'd be in clover. Nice, first-time BDX to get the palate rolling/draw people in tho. 3.15.24. — 3 years ago

Kapyrick Wine

9.0

v21. Very good fun wine. Honeysuckle nose (juicy fruit gum!) apple and pear fruit. Bright finish! — 4 years ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.6

Vincent Dauvissat “Les Clos” 2014- A stunner. Power, intensity and an electric and tense palate that is clearly built to age. Shows an intense seashell minerality, sea spray salinity, rock moss and stone fruit. Exceptionally long and concentrated finish that coats the palate with its seashell and ocean mist persistence. — 5 years ago

Damon Kornhauser

9.2

Long forgotten in some backwoods Colorado wine shop's mini-fridge, and procured for about half of market rate after 15 years of bespoke provenance rolling through alpine summers and frigid winters. The fresh flavors long having evolved... euphemistically "matured" into deep nutty butterscotch and aged gouda and pear cider on the palate, and a deep gold on the eyes. In all honesty, this Phoenix like anomaly pairs extraordinarily with an aperitivi of parm and salumi after a day's cross country skiing in single digit mountain air. — 7 years ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland

9.0

A fantastic day in Santa Clara! Enjoying this wonderful wine with lunch before seeing the Rolling Stones at Levi Stadium.. A blueberry dark cherry on the nose. The dark fruits, floral and spice burst in the mouth lingering with cassis, chocolate and vanilla notes. Medium finish and a beautiful dark purple color. — 7 years ago

with Franca and Jill

Jared Wagner

9.2

Popped and poured. Glorious Chablis. Fresh, vibrant with accents of ripeness, sea mist, apples, chalk, flint, rocks, citrus. I dare you to find a bottle of white wine for $24 that is as good as this, let alone a Chablis. I feel like Robert Conrad from the Eveready commercials in the 70's with a bottle of Vocoret on my shoulder. Go ahead, knock it off. I dare you! 92pts. — 7 years ago

KP

9.0

Dark color and spicy aroma for Pinot. Balanced on the palate though with more oak profile than I was expecting. #pinotnoir — 8 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

1985 vintage. Arguably, my fave wine but first time ever tasting this vintage. It didn’t suck. Decanted. Throwing appropriate sed. Light-medium body. Mixed elderly funk nose with the trademarked cocoa powder and blueberry early on after an hour decant. Bright cherry and ripe plum rolling after two hours decanted. More stuffing than expected. Really nice specimen. Definitely not getting any better but at the top of the bell curve for another 2-3 years. Window is closing. Run, don't walk. 5.11.23. — 3 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

9.4

The OG and still one of the best! Willamette's first winery and vineyard for Pinot Noir. Juicy, sappy and pretty red Pinot fruit with streaks of earth, mineral, and spice. — 5 years ago

Tasha Ramsey

9.6

Ice sweet sipping refreshing wine. Definitely taste the mango and strawberry — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Four day weekend. Gotta get it off to a good start. Been awhile since we had our 375ml of Ruinart.

The nose shows, ripe, slightly candied; black cherries, strawberries, kirsch cherries, rich, summertime watermelon, touch of orange citrus family blend, pomegranate juice, hints of fruit roll up & haunting apricots. Sea fossils & spray, a little bread dough, grey volcanics, chalky powder, orange, spring flowers with fresh & withering, red & pink rose pedals.

The palate is full & touch gummy/candied. Fruits are well extracted, deep, ruby; black cherries, blackberries, strawberries, kirsch cherries, rich, summertime watermelon, touch of orange citrus family blend, pomegranate juice, hints of fruit roll up & haunting apricots. Ghostly, not quite fruit brandy or fruit liqueur character, sea fossils & spray, a little bread dough, not quite medium, white spice with hints of palate heat, grainy, grey volcanics, chalky powder, orange, spring flowers with fresh & withering, red & pink rose pedals. The acidity lively and crisp. The round, well balanced & polish finish is always consistently satisfying and lingers for minutes.

Photos of; the House of Ruinart, Dom Thierry Ruinart, nicely light caves and rolling, hillside, Grand Cru Vineyard.

Not quite sure where “D” gets $83 when you can buy this all day at just under $65. — 7 years ago

Linda H

9.1

Full bodied, oaky with good hint of cherry, got good leg and length. The grapes are grown and harvested on our family member’s property. — 7 years ago

Steve Hahn

8.9

Nicely realized Cab Franc. Nose is a pleasant combination of berry and caramel. Not fruit forward but nice traces of blackberry and plum. Tannins take over late. Good complexity and a good unique wine.
— 8 years ago

Melody Ongenae

9.9

Loved this wine!!! Sadly i only have one bottle left, sweet crisp refreshingly delicious! They discontinued making it their crazy. They have nothing even close. — 8 years ago