Isabel Estate Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2021

This is one of Marlborough’s biggest and oldest estates, and lies in the Wairau Valley, the location of most of the region’s vineyard plantings. Founded by Michael and Robyn Tiller in 1982, it is named after Michael’s mother Isabel, who was responsible for convincing Michael to abandon his career as a pilot so he could pursue his passion for wine.

That said, his pilot career was also instrumental in the creation of Isabel Estate: he first noticed the land while on his regular flight path into Blenheim airport, because it was the only patch of land that didn’t suffer from frost, even on the coldest mornings. He and Robyn planted vines there throughout the 1980s, initially selling the grapes to local wineries (and one of the original vineyards to provide sauvignon blanc grapes to Marlborough’s famous Cloudy Bay), but they eventually launched their own wine label in 1994.

Michael left piloting behind to focus on Isabel Estate full time in 2001, around the same time as the state-of-the-art winery was completed, and he and Robyn now work alongside their four children.

The vines – some of the oldest in Marlborough – are a mixture of sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot gris and riesling. The vineyards benefit from a cool growing season, and long sunny autumns, which help to develop the grapes’ flavours and aromas.

The experienced winemaker Carlos Orgiles Ortega has headed the winery since 2012, after gaining experience not only in New Zealand, but also in Spain, Chile, France and California. All wines are fermented in stainless-steel tanks, with the exception of the chardonnay, which part-ferments in barrels. Both this and the estate’s pinot noir also mature in oak.