We love to crush a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc in The Wine Fairy household. (Just call us the Marlborough women–we adore those zesty tropical flavors.) Today, I’m recommending a breakout example of the genre: The 2025 Tiraki.
Tiraki’s Sauvignon Blanc is a single-vineyard bottling from a family winery in Nelson, at the “Top of the South,” near the shores of the Tasman Bay. The majority of the historic 650-acre estate is planted to Sauvignon Blanc.
According to the label, Tiraki is New Zealand’s first winery to qualify as a Certified B Corporation. So, you can feel good about supporting ethical and sustainable business practices while chasing your Sauvy B buzz.
Tasting Tiraki Sauvignon Blanc
Almost transparent in the glass, with vitreous green glints. My bottle has the barest trace of fizz–a tickling sensation felt at the start and end of each sip.
Tiraki has an insistent, tropical/herbal nose of white grapefruit, lime, guava, crabapple, and sliced bell pepper. The green edges are slightly softened by a whiff of creamy pear and lilies.
On the palate, bracing acidity is matched with pungent West Indian lime. Noticeably elevated alcohol gives it a cocktail-like punch. Buckets of limes are joined by parsley stems and a zing of salinity. (The overall effect reminds this Texas girl of nothing so much as a freshly shaken spicy margarita. We don’t put sliced jalapeños in our Sauvignon Blanc…but in blanco tequila, sure thing.)
Commercial yeast is the norm for this style of wine, but Tiraki wild-ferments a small fraction (18%) in oak puncheons and stainless steel for complexity. Five months of light lees contact adds weight that supports a lengthy citric finish.
It’s an intense mouthful–but I’m never inclined to reward NZSB for subtlety. This wine is extra. It knows it’s extra. It read the room and is giving exactly what the room wants: A flavor bomb with a touch of sophistication.
A five-year-old brand, Tiraki is newly available in the United States. I first tasted it earlier this year at a trade event and it stood out then, as it does now. Top scores to Tiraki for concentration, and for its commitment to its tart ‘n salty bit.
Bottle: Tiraki Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (2025) – New Zealand
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc (100%)
ABV: 13.5%
Suggested retail: $21.99
My rating: 9.2 (out of 10)
Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.
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