"Move over Cloudy Bay, here comes O:TU..." - O:TU 2007 receives RAVE 'Must-Have Wine' review from Asia Sentinel wine writer Curtis Marsh.

O:TU Single Vineyard 2008 - 4.5 Stars Winestate Magazine
O:TU 2007 - Gold Medal, NZ Royal Easter Show 2008
O:TU 2007 - Gold Medal & Top 100 wine, Sydney IWC 2007
O:TU 2006 - Gold Medal (NZ's only Sauvignon Blanc Gold), Japan Wine Challenge 2007

“Very clean. A beautiful wine” - Steve Flamstead, Sydney IWC 2008 Judge (O:TU - Gold Medal + Top 100 wine)

And it's not just the critics telling you the Awatere Valley has something very special, scientists are saying it too! A recent Hortresearch and University of Auckland study helps explain the global acclaim of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

The study analysed what chemically and sensorially makes up the distinctive Sauvignon Blanc flavour and assessed over 50 Sauvignon Blancs from Marlborough, Hawkes Bay, and the Wairarapa in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, France and the USA.

It shows grapes grown for wines in Marlborough produce up to five times the quantity of compounds responsible for the distinctive Sauvignon Blanc flavour than is present when the variety is grown in the other countries. Within Marlborough, it showed Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blancs can be richer in some of these key compounds than those produced in other Marlborough areas.

See the comparison table.

So all up, it seems the Awatere Valley holds a special position as one of the best places to grow Sauvignon Blanc in the world.

Reference: Lund, C.M., M. Thompson, C. Triggs, F. Benkwitz, L. Nicolau and R. Gardner (2006). New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc; Sensory and chemical analysis of its unique characteristics. American Society of Enology and Viticuluture Annual Meeting. Sacramento CA, USA pp 25.