92 Points - 2018 Mt. Beautiful Sauvignon Blanc

“Smooth, rich and showing minerals and tangy fruit; juicy, fresh and long, layered and complex with remarkable old-world quality.”

- Anthony Dias Blue

Being stewards to the land is paramount to us. One of the ways we ensure we're on track is by adhering to the Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand's standards. This is an industry wide certification program led by New Zealand Winegrowers.

The Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand programme is based on continuous improvement and adherence to recommendations and guidelines issued by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV). Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand ensures members meet international standards for sustainability practices while helping the environment, businesses and local communities to thrive.

The programme was introduced commercially in 1997 and adopted by grape growers across the country’s winegrowing regions. Sustainable winery certification standards were established in 2002 and adopted by New Zealand wineries, closing the circle on the industry’s sustainability commitment.

Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand was developed in order to:

• Provide a 'best practice' model of environmental guidelines for the vineyard and winery.
• Guarantee better quality control from the vineyard through to the bottle.
• Assure consumers that products are made with minimal impact on the natural and social environment

Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand provides members with:

• A framework of efficient and economical viticultural and winemaking practices that encourage environmental stewardship.
• A continuous improvement pathway, enabling organisations to constantly improve and fine tune their methods.
• A knowledge transfer platform for keeping up-to-date with new technology, approaches, and application techniques.
• An external audit structure based on adherence to recommendations and guidelines issued by the OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine), with integrity and rigour to exceed market expectations.
• The opportunity to play a part in preserving New Zealand’s unique environment while operating under an independently audited and well-respected sustainability framework.

Pillars of Sustainability:

New Zealand Winegrowers have identified key sustainability focus areas that span all aspects of grape growing and winemaking. Read about them here.

Watch "Why sustainability is important in New Zealand" produced by the New Zealand Winegrowers.

"Southern Belles"
NZ Listener, Michael Cooper

"Pinot Noir, Riesling or something else? You could make a fortunate betting with Christchurch wine lovers about which grape variety is most widely grown at Waipara, in North Canterbury. It's Sauvignon Blanc. Sauvignon Blanc is No. 1 in Nelson, too. Together, the South Island's two smallest wine regions have 7% of the national vineyard area but 15% of the country's wineries. A versatile region, Nelson succeeds with several varieties; Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Further South, Riesling and Pinot Noir are clustered at Waipara."

Among a selection of whites, roses and reds, Mt. Beautiful's 2017 Pinot Noir is one of six reds featured in this article receiving the highest rating awarded - 4.5 stars! Here's what Michael Cooper had to say about our '17 vintage:

"This classy red from Cheviot is fragrant and mouthfilling (13% alc/vol) with concentrated, ripe, plummy, gently spicy flavours and a hint of herbs. Savory and complex, it has good ageing potential."

Hot off the press!

Christina Pickard of Wine Enthusiast magazine awards strong scores on these three wines. Make sure to look for the review copy on these wines when its released this July!

90 Mt. Beautiful 2017 Sauvignon Blanc North Canterbury 
90 Mt. Beautiful 2018 Rosé North Canterbury 
90 Mt. Beautiful 2017 Pinot Noir North Canterbury 

Shop these wines now: https://mtbeautiful.co.nz/shop