The 2012 Sauvignon Blanc is a limited production wine (only about 3,000 cases) made from handpicked grapes and a touch of malo-lactic fermentation in the winemaking. On the nose it shows a pleasant green bean and grass character over green apples and lemon juice, with just a touch of green mango. Light to medium-bodied, it is crisp with a nice bit of texture through the long, clean finish. Drink it now to 2015. A winery that really needs no introduction for NZ Pinot lovers, there’s not much for me to add about the long-serving, dedicated team behind Ata Rangi – they just go from strength to strength. The Pinots have always been great, and yet even in a world where the Pinot benchmark gets higher every year, Ata Rangi is better than ever. (Almost equally impressive though are Petrie and Craighall Chardonnays, clearly getting a lot of love in the cellar from highly skilled winemaker Helen Masters.)

The 2011 Sauvignon Blanc opens with intense notes of ripe apple, passion fruit and cut grass with underlying hints of pea pods and capsicum. Nicely textured on the palate, with outstanding concentration and a backbone of refreshingly crisp acid, it finishes long and layered with good balance throughout. Drink it now to 2014. Importers: Epic Wines, Santa Cruz, CA; tel. (800) 568-8851; www.epic-wines.com; Cream Wine Company, Chicago, IL; tel. (312) 421-1900; www.creamwine.com; Verity Wine Partners, New York, NY; tel. (212) 683-8763; www.veritywines.com