Settlement, 'Heritage Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc', 2024, Marlborough (GI)

'One-Liner'
Serious single-vineyard Marlborough Sauvignon – ripe citrus and tropical fruit sharpened by herbs, saline acidity and a beautifully textured finish.

Tasting Note
Pale straw in the glass, with lifted aromas of grapefruit, lemon and green pear alongside guava, fresh herbs and spring blossom. The palate is concentrated and energetic, combining ripe apple and tropical fruit with crisp citrus acidity and a fine saline edge. A small proportion fermented in seasoned French oak adds subtle breadth and texture without taking away from the wine’s purity. Notes of lemongrass, sage and gentle capsicum bring savoury complexity through the middle. Long, dry and beautifully focused on the finish, with citrus, herbs and chalky minerality lingering behind.

Country: New Zealand
Region: Marlborough GI
Sub-Region: Wairau Valley
Grape(s): 100% Sauvignon Blanc
ABV: 13.5%
Friendly: Organic

Awards & Critics' Scores
Cameron Douglas MS – 94/100
Stephen Wong MW, The Real Review – 93/100, Buy of the Week
Rebecca Gibb MW – 93/100
James Suckling – 92/100
Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate – 92/100

The Story
Settlement was founded by Steve Planthaber after more than a decade working in production and operations at Cloudy Bay, with the aim of showing how distinctive individual Marlborough vineyards can be. Heritage is one of the region’s older Sauvignon Blanc sites, planted between 1990 and 1995 on silty clay loams laid down by historic flooding from the Wairau River. The vineyard began conversion to organic farming in 2009 and achieved full certification in 2012. For the 2024, the fruit is pressed directly to stainless steel, with most of the wine fermented in tank and around 15% fermented with indigenous yeasts in old French oak, bringing extra texture while keeping the vineyard’s naturally vivid citrus, herb and mineral character firmly in focus.

Perfect With... (click me for the recipe)
- Meat/fish: Sea bass with artichokes
- Vegetarian: Asparagus, goat’s cheese and herb tart
- Vegan: Butter bean, fennel and lemon traybake with herbs