Opening with a lovely nose of lemongrass, orange blossom, crushed stones and peaches plus a touch of baking bread, the 2008 Section 94 is a light to medium-bodied, silky wine that's drinking in a great place and showing a touch of almonds in the long finish. This is a wine of great elegance and sophistication.

The 2008 Section 94 is a finely crafted expression of single block Sauvignon Blanc that is barrel fermented in seasoned oak. Profoundly scented of pink grapefruit, mandarin slices, kumquat and fresh herb aromas, it later releases further notes of ginger, grass, white flower and green mango plus some lees and sulphide characters. Very crisp and intensely citrus, this is a beautifully balanced wine of great texture. The finish is long with lingering chalk and crushed stone notes. It’s delicious now, though this is a style built to age and it should cellar to 2016+. “When we started, we really didn’t know where we were going to go,” James Healy, winemaker and co-founder, confessed as I perched on a stool in the winery’s tasting room. “Ivan (Sutherland, viticulturalist and co-founder) and I are such different people. But we see eye to eye a lot of the time. We never wanted to do the big thing. We wanted to do it for ourselves and develop.” Only 6 years after the first anticipated releases from these ex Cloudy Bay, etc. stalwarts, it’s now hard to imagine Marlborough’s complex jigsaw puzzle of players complete without this dynamic duo that is Dog Point. Emphasis on the vineyards, proponents of cork for all but their Sauvignon and use of indigenous yeast aren’t the only things that define their edges – the wines are simply superb.Importer: Ex Cellars Wine Agencies Inc., Solvang, CA; tel. (805) 686-9153