Vandal Wine Co. 2022 Resistance Sauvignon Blanc

Vandal Wines is a fascinating, unconventional project that essentially functions as an "insurgent" creative outlet for three of Marlborough’s most accomplished winemakers. Because these individuals hold prominent, high-profile positions at major, established wineries, their contracts prevent them from promoting outside projects. Consequently, they maintain strict anonymity, allowing them to step away from the commercial constraints of their day jobs to pursue a more "lo-fi" and experimental approach. 

The Vandal Resistance Sauvignon Blanc 2022 is the perfect wine to challenge your perceptions of what Marlborough is or should be. Unlike the vast majority of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, which prioritizes overt tropical fruit and piercing acidity, the Resistance is intentionally built to defy those conventions.

Sourced from own-rooted, 35-year-old vines in the Southern Valleys, this wine leans heavily into the experimental philosophy of the Vandal project. The winemakers focus on texture and savory complexity rather than primary fruit. The juice is fermented spontaneously with full solids in seasoned 300-liter French oak barrels, followed by a full malolactic fermentation. The wine spends six months on its lees, which adds a distinct weight and creaminess to the mid-palate, effectively softening the sharp edges typical of the region.

On the nose, expect a departure from the "fruit-bomb" style. It leads with reductive, flinty minerality, earth, and savory herbal notes rather than pure citrus or passionfruit. On the palate, the experience is supple and expansive, showcasing stone fruit and citrus zest held together by a sophisticated, briny minerality and a long, savory finish. Because it is bottled unfined and unfiltered, it has a raw, energetic character that feels vital and alive.