With apologies to Samuel Taylor Coleridge, no albatrosses have been seen flying through the vineyards of Marlborough yet as far as I am aware, but the region is certainly becalmed in a sea of sauvignon. Lindauer have fortuitously hit upon a novel approach to help whittle down the tank volumes in the form of a sparkling sauvignon blanc. Well, it had to happen, didn't it?
Good packaging, with the zesty green adding a vibrant lift to the usual label. The wine is distinctive enough in both its sauvignon and methode characters to provide good cross-over appeal for the bubbly drinkers and the savvy lovers and is light, cheerful and fruity (though mercifully, dry). Probably not the best quality of the Lindauer stable (which offers surprisingly good wine for the price and volume) but it is hard not to see this one being a winner come the summer supermarket wine sales. Blended from 85% sauvignon blanc and the balance from the more traditional sparkling reserve wine of chardonnay and pinot noir, this is a fresh and uncomplicated drop, and must be bringing a smile to the accountants at Pernod Ricard as well as to the winemakers who will now have some extra tank space freed up.