The 2007 Sauvignon Blanc has a fragrant, rather herbaceous nose infused with apple, elderflower, gooseberry and wild hedgerow. Good intensity and what you might describe as a quintessential Sauvignon Blanc bouquet. The palate is well-balanced with good acidity with notes of lime, apricot and citrus fruits and very good delineation on the crisp, focused finish. An excellent Sauvignon Blanc from the top drawer. Palliser Estate is one of Martinborough’s respected names, its first vines planted back in 1984. They presently have 85 hectares under vine with new Pinot Noir Dijon clones (115 and 667) beginning to add more complexity. The winemaker is Allan Johnson, who has overseen the winemaking since 1991 and was voted New Zealand Winemaker of the Year in 2002. Due to time restraints I was unable to visit the estate, so the following notes were all taken single blind in Martinborough and the quality in their superb Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Pinot Noir shone brightly.Importer, Negociants USA, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 259-0993; fax (707) 259-1510