Dog Point Vineyard
Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc 2021
Marlborough
Section 94 is widely regarded as the most distinctive and greatest Sauvignon Blanc being made in New Zealand today. James Healy and Ivan Sutherland were among the first to begin fermenting their Sauvignon in barrel with wild yeasts, a technique that along with the old vines they use, leads to a full-bodied wine that is less fruit-forward, more exotic, and has immense textural complexity.
VINEYARD
The single vineyard parcel called Section 94 was planted in 1992. The vineyard is managed to reduce yields, and as is the case with all Dog Point wines, fruit is hand-picked (only 5% of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is hand-picked).
The soils are free draining silty clay loams on the flats of the valley, as these express intense citrus and grapefruit flavors. Dog Point operates under what is called the "Biogro" program, an initiative to promote the production of premium quality wine utilizing environmentally friendly and responsible practices.
WINEMAKING
Hand picked and gently pressed to tank for 24 hours of settling prior to eighteen months fermentation and aging in older French Oak barrels. 100% natural ferment. Bottled without fining and only minimal filtration.
VINTAGE
A cool and frosty start to the growing season and flowering period, naturally reduced yields to the lowest levels in over 20 years. Novembers rain was welcomed prior to the driest summer on record with only 66mm (50% lower than average) over this period. Temperatures were warm, only slightly above average, which enabled a smooth, steady growing season with little disease pressure. The low yields resulted in the earliest harvest for Dog Point, picking all the Sauvignon including Section 94 before the end of March.
FOOD PAIRING
Seafood (especially Salmon), poultry and soft white cheeses
Color
White
Blend %
100% Sauvignon Blanc
Appellation
Marlborough
Alcohol
14%
Suggested Retail Price
$45
Reviews
James Halliday Wine Companion - April 7, 2026 "Hand harvested, whole-bunch pressed and aged for 18 months in seasoned French oak. This is a wine that consistently delivers, while ageing at a glacial rate, almost beyond belief. At five years, this is showing Meyer lemon, cantaloupe and Alphonse mango skin. Mock orange blossoms, honeysuckle and struck sandstone flint. The palate curls into creamy candlenut and oatmeal, then circles back to its citrus and tropical fruit core. It's languid and slightly oily, persistent and long. A wine for rewiring your brain and taste buds on what great sauvignon can do."
Wine Advocate - April 1, 2026 "The 2021 Section 94, matured in French oak barrels, typically packs a more overt punch than the estate Sauvignon Blanc tasted alongside. Here, the wine is complex and nuanced, with layers of crushed and salted nuts, curry leaf, saline acidity and edamame. This is a very, very good wine"
James Suckling - November 1, 2023
Wine Enthusiast - June 10, 2024 "From a single vineyard and aged in old French oak, this wine—always one of New Zealand's most distinctive Sauvignon Blancs—opens with intensely reductive, sulfuric aromas of struck match, grilled nuts over a smoky fire and buttered toast. The fruit comes on the second beat, with whiffs of baked lemon and passion fruit. Then, on the palate, it all seems to coalesce, with bright acidity, a rich, creamy texture and concentrated flavors pulsing to a very long finish. A love-it-or-hate-it style, but a well-made drop in any case."
Reviews
More on Dog Point Vineyard Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc 2021
New Zealand Gift Ideas
November 2, 2023 - [pdf-embedder url="https://www.vintus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Dog-Point-Vineyards_Forbes_12.8.23.pdf" title="Dog Point Vineyards_Forbes_12.8.23"]Contributor Jeanette Hurt for Forbes compiled a holiday gift guide of the best New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs to gift and enjoy all year long. Making the…
Trade Materials
Videos
Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc
August 14, 2019 - Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc in Marlborough is from estate grown, hand picked, low cropping vines. Learn more about how this wine is made by watching this video...
Other Wines by this Producer
Sauvignon Blanc
Dog Point’s Sauvignon Blanc takes a category of wine and completely transcends it, with an intensity, depth and energy that so obviously sets it apart from the first encounter. When they decided to make a pure stainless steel vinified Sauvignon Blanc, Dog Point pushed to the ultimate every process to produce top quality, distinctive wine. They hand-pick fruit at low yields, green harvest at times, and ferment partially with indigenous yeasts. This wine helped make Dog Point a key advocate of premium wine production in New Zealand, and for New Zealand across the world.
Chardonnay
Several influential voices in the wine industry believe that in time Chardonnay may prove New Zealand's single highest achievement. All three of the Dog Point wines fermented in barrel are small in production, but the Chardonnay is the smallest, and and times indeed the most dazzling.
Pinot Noir
Dog Point's renown as a Sauvignon Blanc producers has done nothing to lessen the enthusiasm around their Pinot Noir, today considered one of the finest in New Zealand. What sets their wine apart is the generosity of the structure, which comes off as rich but not sweet, and the complex mingling of fruit and savory notes.
