Dog Point Wines

One sniff of this white is all you need to know it’s a Kiwi savvy, as its nose reeks of freshly cut grass and ripe tropical fruits. These characters flood its intensely flavoured palate, with tangy lemon-citrus flavours and crisp acidity giving it a long, refreshing finish. This Sauvignon Blanc is an absolute pearler and makes a perfect partner to fresh oysters.

The Dog Point Chardonnay is an up-market white that’s worth seeking out. It’s light in colour and has a shy nose offering citrus fruit aromas and nutty oak characters, but it’s all class in the mouth. It has a great balance of ripe stone fruit and tangy citrus flavours with a just the right amount of nutty oak characters followed by a long, dry finish. This posh white is sure to impress at your next dinner party.

Marlborough arguably doesn't get the acclaim it deserves for its Pinot Noir, as the region gets largely overlooked in favour of Martinborough and Central Otago in the NZ Pinot heirachy. The best Marlborough Pinots though are typically delicious wines, with more generosity than you'll see in most of the rest of the nation (and we are big fans of generous wines here at Cracka). Fittingly this combines ripe red fruit flesh with a nice spine of tannins, almost as if you are getting the best of both worlds with this wine - rich and powerful. Winner.

Colour: Deep Ruby. Bouquet: Aromas of bright red fruits complemented by floral notes and a subtle, underlying varietal earthy character. Palate: Lifted rich fruit and well integrated spicy oak flavours showing excellent balance with sweet tannins and a lingering soft finish. Dog Point Wine Reviews and Accolades "A fine wine with hints of cherry plums and forrest floor, lively red fruits with an exciting edge balanced by hints of spicy oka and a long, textural aftertaste. It will develop with a few years bottle age." - 4 Stars, Charmaine Smith, Otago Daily Times 2010 "Old Marlborough stalwarts Ivan Sutherland and James Healy and their special, elevated site have another beauty. Ve...

Colour: Straw green. Bouquet: Intense yellow fruits and aromatic nuances of white flowers are integrated with a degree of minerality against a background of lees complexity. Palate: Unique full bodied sauvignon with considerable depth and complexity. The intense citrus and mineral flavours are complemented by a chalky textural lees influence resulting in a wine with concentration, focused structure and individuality. Food: Match Fish, poultry and vegetable dishes and especially aromatic white cheeses.

Colour: Bright straw green. Bouquet: Refreshingly intense concentration of citrus, tropical fruits and fragrant fresh summer herbs, underpinned by an appealing degree of minerality. Palate: Generous full bodied wine displaying an excellent balance of fruit and acidity with a fine citrus infused finish, a portion of indigenous ferment adding depth and richness.

Colour: Pale gold green Bouquet: Strong aromas of grapefruit and roasted hazelnut with savoury characters from extended contact with yeast lees. Palate: Full bodied expression of the variety integrating fresh grapefruit with chalky textural lees character. Food Match: Shellfish, fish, white meats. Dog Point Wine Reviews and Accolades "An exciting new name from New Zealand, Dog Point is the work of ex-Cloudy Bay boys Ivan Sutherland and James Healy. The chardonnay is a lovely, silky drop with citrus and stone fruit characters, subtle nutty complexity, well-handled oak and a super-long, tangy palate. Food poached salmon." - 5 Stars, Ralph Kyte-Powell for Epicure Uncorked, 2004

Colou:r Ruby red Bouquet: Mix of ripe, black and red fruits infused with violets and rich spiciness. Palate: Sweet opulent fruit with well integrated toasty oak gives an elegantly powerful wine with a soft lingering finish. Food Match: Duck, cervena, redmeats and mild goat and sheep cheeses. Dog Point Wine Reviews and Accolades "New Releases: Lithe in texture, with nicely focused currant and berry flavours that persist impressively on the long, lively finish, shaded with a light touch of spicy oak" - 90 POints, Wine Spectator, 2004 "A pinot lover's best friend: Dog Point Pinot Noir 2002. from an ex-Cloudy Bay winemaker, is the first vintage of a wine that's going to be famou...

Colour: Straw green Bouquet: Ripe tropical and citrus fruits with a background of subtle smokey lees influence. Palate: Dry rounded palate, a degree of minerality, showing excellent balance with an exotic finish. Food Match: Shell fish (especially oysters), fish, poultry, firm cheeses. Dog Point Wine Reviews and Accolades "Dog Point Section 94 is a first release from this Marlborough company, a partnership between Ivan and Margaret Sutherland and James and Wendy Healy. Ivan was viticulturalist at Cloudy Bay from its beginning in 1985, and James joined Cloudy Bay as a senior winemaker in 1991. Section 94 is a barrel fermented sauvignon from a good vintage, and is bright green/gold ...

Colour: Straw Bouquet: Strong aromas of grapefruit and roasted hazelnut with savoury characters from extended contact with yeast lees. Palate: Full bodied expression of the variety integrating fresh grapefruit with chalky textural lees character. Food Match: Shellfish, fish, white meats. Dog Point Wine Reviews and Accolades "A sensational white more in the mould of a good Chablis than anything I have tasted from Marlborough bearing the word chardonnay. Made with handpicked grapes treated to full indigenous yeast fermentation, 100 per cent malolactic fermentation and loads of lees stirring. Taste fresh, citrusy and is seductively mouth-filling." - Joelle Thomson for Viva, 2005 ...

Colour: Ruby red Bouquet: Mix of ripe, black and red fruits infused with violets and rich spiciness. Palate: Sweet opulent fruit with well integrated toasty oak gives a firmly structured wine with a lingering finish. Food Match: Duck, cervena, red meats and mild goat and sheep cheeses. Dog Point Wine Reviews and Accolades "The 2003 Dog Point Pinot Noir exudes gorgeous, bright, Martinborough-ish, violet perfumes. The palate is quite bony, dry and more austere than the nose would have you think." - Capital Times, 2005

Colour: Straw Bouquet: Strong aromas of grapefruit and roasted hazelnut with savoury characters from extended contact with yeast lees. Palate: Full bodied expression of the variety integrating fresh grapefruit with chalky textural lees character. Food Match: Shellfish, fish, white meats.

Colour: Straw green Bouquet: Ripe tropical and citrus fruits with hints of lychee and wild honey against a background of smokey lees complexity. Palate: Dry rounded palate with a degree of minerality, excellent balance and an exotic finish. Food Match: Shell fish (especially oysters), fish, poultry, firm cheeses. Dog Point Wine Reviews and Accolades "The recently released 2003 Dog Point Section 94 is more of a great nephew of Te Koko. A separate and distinctive style appears to be developing. Here is an interesting kerosene character to the nose of this wine, beneath an overlay of passionfruit and citrus. The palate is quite dry and tight. Flavours exhibited are ...

Colour: Straw green. Bouquet: Intense aromas of grapefruit rind, linseed and roasted nuts exhibiting savoury characters from extended contact with yeast lees. Palate: A full bodied expression of the variety showing intensity of structure with integrated citrus flavours and chalky textured lees character. Food Match: Shellfish, fish, white meats and especially a BBQ rack of pork. Dog Point Wine Reviews and Accolades "The 2004 Chardonnay has an intriguing nose: developing subtle secondary notes of lanolin and white flowers. The palate is well balanced with ripe citrus fruits, touches of mango and a little clear honey. Good acidity, harmonious towards the finish with just a hint o...

Colour: Ruby red. Bouquet: Stong aromas of violets along with ripe red and black stone fruits. Palate: Dense red fruit complemented by toasty oak overlays a firmly structured wine with a rich lengthy finish. Food Match: Duck, cervena, red meats and especially truffled venison and mushroom pie. Dog Point Wine Reviews and Accolades "The 2004 Pinot Noir has very good intensity on the menthol-tinged nose with broody dark-berried fruits. Good definition. The palate is well balanced with some lovely crisp dark mulberry and briary flavors coming through. Not a huge weight or structure, but the off-dry finish has a sense of reserve that would lend it well to gamey cuisine. Ex...

Colour: Pale green straw Bouquet: A mixture of tropical and ripe citrus fruits with a hint of fresh herbs. Palate: Rich and full bodied with juicy texture and fine acid balance. Food Match: Aperitif, white meats, seafood - oysters especially. Dog Point Wine Reviews and Accolades "Bright and zingy. The brilliant flare of lemon, lime, mineral and pear flavours keeps dancing as the finish rolls on and on. An expressive style that finds the elusive balance between racy acidity and expressive fruit. Drink now." - 91 Points from Wine Spectator, 2005 "Pungent with tropical fruit and hints of herbs, this is wonderfully textural, concentrated and harmonious, typical of the best Marlbor...

Colour: Straw green Bouquet: Ripe tropical and citrus fruits with hints of lychee and wild honey against a background of smokey lees complexity. Palate: Dry rounded palate with a degree of minerality, excellent balance and an exotic finish. Food Match: Shell fish (especially oysters), fish, poultry, firm cheeses.

Colour: Straw green. Bouquet: Exhibits ripe grapefruit, roasted nuts and toasty aromas together with savoury characters derived from contact with yeast lees. Palate: Full bodied with intense citrus flavour, the palate is finely stuctured and shows chalky texture as a result of yeast contact. Food Match: Shellfish, fish, white meats and especially a BBQ rack of pork. Dog Point Wine Reviews and Accolades "A ripe and full-flavoured example of Marlborough Chardonnay. It has strong grapefruit and white peach flavours with a curious root ginger character. Intriguing and appealing. There's plenty of bready yeast lees flavours plus a suggestion of butter." - 93 Points and 5 Stars, Bob C...

Colour: Ruby. Bouquet: Aromas of ripe red and black fruits infused with violets and an underlying earthy character. Palate: Richly flavoured with dense red and black fruits the palate shows a combination of excellant tannin structure, well integrated oak and a rounded, lingering earthy finish. Food Match: Duck, cervena, red meats and especially truffled venison and mushroom pie. Dog Point Wine Reviews and Accolades "Dog Point is a partnership between viticulturist Ivan Sutherland and winemaker James Healy, both formerly of Cloudy Bay. Sutherland owns extensive Marlborough vineyards from which the cream of the crop is reserved for this label. This is terrific pinot noir. It has...