Alpine Rift Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2025

Richard Ellis, the former star winemaker at Greywacke, arguably NZ’s first ever ‘cult’ winery, takes his vast knowledge and applies it to his Alpine Rift project. He sources his fruit from a few different vineyards all with ancient glacial soils, which he feels produces the most amazing grapes in the entire country.

The flavors he’s able to create are truly insane: everything from juicy nectarine, papaya, and honeydew melon with hints of orange peel and jalapeño, underscored by a ripe, richly textured palate and crisp citrus finish. This is not your mother’s NZ Sauvignon Blanc!

Unlike most New Zealand Sauvingon Blancs, Alpine Rift uses a combination of stainless steel and seasoned French oak barrels with indigenous wild yeasts for added texture and complexity. That’s one way they set themselves apart. About 10% of this was fermented in oak, creating what Parker’s Wine Advocate praised as “textural and very fine” with a “crystalline polish.”