Jack, our Stockholm-based reporter covering the monopoly (Systembolaget) launches gives our Swedish readers a report every month on the new wines. In this overview article we have assembled all white and sparkling wines from New Zealand launched in that last 12 months. The report includes Jack’s point score for the wine on a 20-point scale (his scoring level is rather low compared to others so a 16-pointer is pretty good), his evaluation of value for money as well as his description of the wines.
These are wines launched in Sweden, but most of them are also available in other countries so we want to share the review of these New Zealand wines also with our English language readers. (Every month we publish a report on the launches at Systembolaget, but only in Swedish.)
This is part of our New Zealand campaign to make you discover the wealth of wines, with breadth and depth, coming from New Zealand. Far from “sauvignon blanc only”. We also hop that this can entice you to join our New Zealand wine tour in March. An amazing wine tour.
Read more about New Zealand in these articles:
- Nigel Greening of Felton Road on the winery, the climate, and the environment
- Anna Flowerday talks manure at Te Whare Ra in Marlborough
- The unforgettable spectacle of Mount Cook and Lake Tekapo, with its glacier
- New Zealand all around with Pinot Noir
- Trailblazer in Hawke’s Bay, a conversation with the winemaker at Black Barn Vineyards
- Wine recommendations from New Zealand focusing on smaller producers
- Unison Vineyard, a pioneer in Gimblett Gravels
- Master of Wine Emma Jenkins: What has changed in New Zealand
- Who is the king of sauvignon blanc, France or New Zealand?
- Sauvignon blanc easy to recognize, but soil type makes a big difference
But now to the wines!
These, then, are the wines we have had the chance to taste over the past twelve months from New Zealand in the monopoly launch tastings. This covers all the red wines from New Zealand that we have tasted. It’s interesting to note that the scores are relatively high (in Jack’s terms) and that value for money is usually favourable.
It’s clear that the Swedish market (where these wines were launched during the last 12 months) prioritises white (and sparkling) wines from New Zealand. The “past 12 months” selection has 19 whites and sparkling wines, and 7 reds. This is of course to be expected given the reputation New Zealand has, above all based on its characterful sauvignon blanc wines from Marlborough.
Of the 19 whites, it’s encouraging that there’s more than just sauvignon blanc: 5 chardonnays and one albariño. But there’s actually a lot more! Riesling, gewürztraminer, chenin, even fiano…
The red selection is dominated by pinot noir – no surprise, as New Zealand is one of the world’s leading countries for pinot noir, from Central Otago, but not only from there. There are also two syrah wines. Very good syrah is made, especially in Hawke’s Bay. But outstanding cabernet sauvignon is also made, not least on Waiheke Island, as well as sangiovese, grenache, cabernet franc and much more.
It’s truly exciting to discover the great variety of wines New Zealand produces when travelling among its various wine regions.
The price indicated is the approximate retail price in Sweden in SEK converted to euro.
Here’s the corresponding “red” article:
BKWine’s assessment of New Zealand white wines, launched by (or through) Systembolaget over the past 12 months (’25–’26)
Dog Point Chardonnay 2023, Dog Point Vineyards
Price: €24.83
New Zealand, Marlborough
Tasting note:
Toasty notes, dense, ok fruit and acidity, developed, a slight bitterness, balanced, tight.
BKWine Score: 16.0 pts, value for money: (+), drinking window: 2–6 years.
Dog Point Vineyard was founded in 2002 by Ivan Sutherland and James Healy, who had previously worked together at Cloudy Bay – Sutherland as viticulturist, Healy as winemaker. The estate is located at the confluence of the Omaka and Brancott valleys in Marlborough and is still owned by the founding families. The vineyard is certified organic (BioGro), and the grapes are hand-harvested. Site: Dog Point Vineyard
More on BKWine Magazine: Favourite picks from the Altia wine range.
Otira Sauvignon Blanc 2024, Clos Henri
Price: €26.61
New Zealand, Marlborough
Tasting note:
Young, aromatic, elderberry cordial, refined sauvignon blanc, ok fruit and acidity, cool-climate, dense, ok balance.
BKWine Score: 16.0 pts, value for money: (+), drinking window: 3–7 years.
Clos Henri was founded in 2000 by the Bourgeois wine-growing family from Sancerre (Loire). After a twelve-year search process, they chose the Wairau Valley in Marlborough, New Zealand, for their overseas project. The estate covers around ~100 hectares, of which about forty are planted, and has been certified organic since 2013. Site: Clos Henri
Chardonnay Reed Vineyard 2023, Blank Canvas Wines Limited
Price: €26.61
New Zealand, Marlborough
Tasting note:
Toasty oak, oaky, tight, unintegrated, lime, ok fruit, youthful, lime.
BKWine Score: 16.0 pts, value for money: =, drinking window: 3–6 years.
Blank Canvas was founded in 2013 by husband and wife Matt Thomson, an internationally active consulting winemaker, and Sophie Parker-Thomson. For a long time the company operated as a négociant project with no vineyard of its own, sourcing grapes from vineyards in Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay and Central Otago, but in 2025 it bought its first own vineyard, 9 ha, in Marlborough’s Omaka Valley. Site: Blank Canvas Wines
Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc 2025, Dog Point Vineyards
Price: €19.49
New Zealand, Marlborough
Tasting note:
Integrated, elderflower cordial, aromatic, ok balance of acidity and fruit, young, primary fruit.
BKWine Score: 15.5 pts, value for money: (+), drinking window: 3–6 years.
Dog Point Vineyard – producer profile, see above.
Bannockburn Chardonnay 2023, Dicey
Price: €19.49
New Zealand, Central Otago
Tasting note:
Oak, developed, buttery, a touch of “fat”, long finish with a hint of vanilla ice cream, ok fruit, tight with some disjointedness today.
BKWine Score: 15.5 pts, value for money: (+), drinking window: 3–6 years.
Dicey was launched in 2020 by brothers Matt and James Dicey, sons of Robin Dicey, who originally came from South Africa and was one of the pioneers behind viticulture in Bannockburn, Central Otago, and was also involved with Mt Difficulty Wines. The grapes for Dicey come from three family-owned vineyards in Bannockburn: The Inlet, Black Rabbit and Swansong. Site: Dicey
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Chardonnay 2024, Indevin Ltd.
Price: €17.71
New Zealand, Hawke’s Bay
Tasting note:
Developed, a hint of toasty notes, lime, a touch “fat” and buttery on the finish, ok acidity and fruit.
BKWine Score: 15.5 pts, value for money: +, drinking window: 2–4 years.
The Villa Maria brand was founded in 1961 by Sir George Fistonich, who at age 21 leased land from his father in Auckland. Over sixty years Villa Maria grew into one of New Zealand’s largest privately owned wine companies, before the family company Fistonich Family Wines Ltd (FFWL) went into receivership and Villa Maria was bought in 2021 by Indevin, a major contract winemaker. Site: Villa Maria
Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2024, Greywacke Vineyards
Price: €17.71
New Zealand, Marlborough
Tasting note:
Dense and young, typical sauvignon blanc with elderflower and a hint of cat’s pee, juicy fruitiness.
BKWine Score: 15.0 pts, value for money: =, drinking window: now–4 years.
Greywacke was founded in 2009 by Kevin Judd, who was the founding winemaker at Cloudy Bay and made 25 vintages there. The name Greywacke refers to the grey sandstone bedrock found throughout Marlborough and all of New Zealand. The wines are made at Dog Point’s facility, and the grapes are bought in from contracted growers in the Wairau and Southern Valleys. Site: Greywacke
Schubert Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2023, Schubert Wines
Price: €17.71
New Zealand, Wairarapa
Tasting note:
Tight, juicy, restrained elderberry cordial, aromatic, ok acidity, austere on the finish.
BKWine Score: 15.0 pts, value for money: =, drinking window: 1–4 years.
Schubert Wines was founded in 1998 by German winemakers Kai Schubert and Marion Deimling, who, after an extensive search for the ideal pinot noir terroir, settled in Martinborough in Wairarapa. Of the estate’s 40 hectares, around 14 are planted, mainly with pinot noir. Site: Schubert Wines
Read more about the producer in BKWine Magazine’s article: Five wineries and 25 recommended wines from New Zealand.
Wairau Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2024, Saint Clair Family Estate
Price: €17.71
New Zealand, Marlborough
Tasting note:
Cat’s pee, massive sauvignon blanc with bitterness and elderflower cordial, aromatic, dense, disjointed today, young, a touch of “fatness”.
BKWine Score: 15.0 pts, value for money: (+), drinking window: 3–5 years.
Saint Clair Family Estate was founded in 1994 by Neal and Judy Ibbotson, who had been pioneers in Marlborough since 1978. The company is still family-owned, with the next generation already active in the business. Site: Saint Clair Family Estate
More on BKWine Magazine: Five wineries and 25 recommended wines from New Zealand.
Small Family Sauvignon Blanc 2024, Severne Street Wine Company Limited
Price: €15.93
New Zealand, Marlborough
Tasting note:
Young, aromatic, typical elderflower cordial with a hint of cat’s pee on the finish, dense, cool-climate, obviously sauvignon blanc.
BKWine Score: 15.0 pts, value for money: (+), drinking window: 2–5 years.
The wine comes from the Awatere Valley in Marlborough and is certified organic. It is fermented with wild yeast and has been aged on lees for around three months before bottling. Small Family is run by Claudia and Bill Small, who don’t own vineyards but buy grapes from growers. Bill and Claudia Small started making their own wines in 2010.
Sauvignon Blanc North Canterbury 2023, Pyramid Valley Vineyards
Price: €15.04
New Zealand, Canterbury, North Canterbury
Tasting note:
Citrus with lemon, dense, developed, acid-rich, ok fruit, fiery finish (no elderflower).
BKWine Score: 15.0 pts, value for money: (+), drinking window: now–3 years.
Pyramid Valley was founded in 2000 by Mike and Claudia Weersing in Waikari, North Canterbury, and is biodynamic. In 2017 the Weersings sold the estate to Steve Smith (who had previously founded Craggy Range) and his business partner Brian Sheth, who have run it ever since. Site: Pyramid Valley
Te Muna Sauvignon Blanc 2025, Craggy Range
Price: €17.71
New Zealand
Tasting note:
Very young, pronounced cat’s pee, elderflower, bitterness, cool-climate, very aromatic, clearly sauvignon blanc.
BKWine Score: 15.0 pts, value for money: (+), drinking window: 3–7 years.
Craggy Range was founded in 1998 by the American-Australian Peabody family together with Steve Smith, based around Hawke’s Bay’s Gimblett Gravels. The company is still family-owned and protected by a 1,000-year trust that means it can never be sold. Site: Craggy Range
More on BKWine Magazine: New Zealand all around with Pinot Noir.
Zephyr Chardonnay 2024, The Coterie
Price: €13.26
New Zealand, Marlborough
Tasting note:
Developed, dense, toasted bread, a slight sharpness in the acidity, fruit ok, a bit disjointed today, chardonnay shows through.
BKWine Score: 14.5 pts, value for money: (+), drinking window: 1–3 years.
Zephyr is the Glover family’s own brand, with vineyards in Dillons Point planted in 1985 (or 1988?) by the Glover family. The wines are made at The Coterie, a contract winery that Ben Glover and Rhyan Wardman started in 2018 on the former Seresin Estate site in Marlborough, focused on small-batch organic wines. Site: The Coterie
Waimea Albariño 2025, Booster Wines
Price: €12.37
New Zealand, Nelson
Tasting note:
Elderflower cordial, young, tart, aromatic, clementine, dense, ok fruit and acidity.
BKWine Score: 14.5 pts, value for money: (+), drinking window: 1–4 years.
Waimea is part of Booster Wine Group, which was formed in 2019 through a merger of several family-owned New Zealand wine companies, including Waimea Estates in Nelson. The group also includes the brands Sileni, Awatere River and Bannock Brae. Site: Booster Wine Group
Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc 2025, Villa Maria Estate
Price: €15.04
New Zealand, Marlborough
Tasting note:
Stylish, cool-climate, clearly sauvignon blanc with elderflower cordial and a hint of cat’s pee, dense, young, slack on the finish.
BKWine Score: 14.5 pts, value for money: =, drinking window: 2–4 years.
Villa Maria – see above.
Art of the Growers Sauvignon Blanc 2024, Arvid Nordquist HAB
Price: €26.61, Volume: 3000 ml
New Zealand, Marlborough
Tasting note:
Elderflower-laden, juicy, young, blackcurrant, aromatic, a slightly jammy finish.
BKWine Score: 13.0 pts, value for money: (+), drinking window: now.
This is a trade brand: the grapes come from Marlborough, but the wine is sold under the own-label brand of the Swedish importer and grocery retailer Arvid Nordquist, rather than under an individual winery’s name.
Verdant Valley Chardonnay 2025, Booster Wine Group
Price: €17.71, Volume: 2000 ml
New Zealand, Hawke’s Bay
Tasting note:
Juicy, taut and dry, sparse in fruit, young, stone fruit.
BKWine Score: 12.5 pts, value for money: =, drinking window: now.
Verdant Valley is part of Booster Wine Group, formed in 2019 through a merger of several family-owned New Zealand wine companies and owned via Booster’s Tahi investment fund. Site: Booster Wine Group
Sparkling
Stoneleigh Rapaura Series Brut Cuvée 2022, Vinarchy
Price: €17.71
New Zealand, Marlborough
Tasting note:
Light, juicy and youthful, a touch of matchstick, apricot, ok acidity.
BKWine Score: 14.0 pts, value for money: (=), drinking window: 1–3 years.
Stoneleigh is owned by Vinarchy, a global wine company formed in May 2025 through a merger of Accolade Wines and Pernod Ricard’s former wine operations in Australia, New Zealand and Spain. Vinarchy is a giant in New Zealand, with brands including Stoneleigh, Brancott Estate and Mud House.
Petillant Naturel 2025, Greystone Wines
Price: €19.49
New Zealand, Canterbury, North Canterbury
Tasting note:
“Natural” in style, crisp acidity, red grapefruit, lighter style, ok balance, a touch short, fruit-driven.
BKWine Score: 13.5 pts, value for money: (=), drinking window: now–2 years.
Greystone was founded in 2000 when the Thomas family bought a limestone-rich sheep farm in the Omihi hills in the Waipara Valley, North Canterbury. The estate is certified organic and has been run since 2008 with Dom Maxwell as winemaker. Site: Greystone Wines
Note: The tasting notes are from Jack. The producer information is from the editorial team. Note that the producer information may in some cases contain ambiguities or even inaccuracies, as sources can vary. If you need exact figures, you should refer to the producer’s own information.
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