RedCliffe Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

Wine: RedCliffe Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

Grape: Sauvignon blanc

Region: Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand

Vintage: 2008

Price: $3.99

In the glass: RedCliffe Sauvignon Blanc is a clearish faint-lemon-yellow color with a star-bright light translucent core going out into a slightly greenish-tinged to clear rim definition with medium-high viscosity.

On the nose: There is lovely floral character like geraniums, then white fruit, gooseberries, grapefruit meat, green apple skins, mandarin peel and underlying crisp citrus elements as well as chalky minerals emanating from the bowl of the glass after a firm swirl.

On the palate: The wine is delicious and delivers a fine mixture of rounded flavors dominated by soft grapefruit with sliced Granny Smith apples and northern gooseberries, white currants and a nicely defined balance. The midpalate is firm and harmonious, going into a lingering finish, showing hints of minerality and tart gooseberry right at the end. RedCliffe Sauvignon Blanc is a tasty little wine that dishes up good balance, within a deliciously drinkable and fruit-driven core.

Odds and ends: This is by far the least expensive Marlborough sauvignon blanc I have found in any retail market in the world. Marlborough is considered the benchmark for New World sauvignon blanc and therefore the foremost appellation for these wines in New Zealand, and they are always priced accordingly. I have seen them as low as $7 in the past. RedCliffe is made with the same level of attention as the much more expensive ones, with the famous Cloudy Bay being fully 10 times more money. The weather is just perfect for consuming such a crisp, delicious white wine. RedCliffe Sauvignon Blanc is great as an aperitif by itself, chilled to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, or in the company of some freshly shucked oysters. Drink it now through 2012.

Gil Lempert-Schwarz's wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89106-0749, or email him at gil@winevegas.com.