Wine of the week: a first-class newcomer

2010 Stanley Estates, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand (£10.95-£11.95, Amps Fine Wines of Oundle, 01832-273502; Rodney Fletcher of Horsmonden, 01892-724314; Hercules Wines of Sandwich & Faversham, 01304-617100; Dickens House Wine Emporium of Rochester, 01634-880887; Noel Young of Trumpington, 01223-566744; Secret Cellar of Tunbridge Wells, 01892-537981).

I recently tasted more than 600 Kiwi wines and I will be releasing my 'Essential and Exquisite' list of NZ wines for 2011 in due course. One thing is certain this beauty will make the grade.

I'm sure your palate has, from time to time, been shocked and disappointed at the variation in quality of Marlborough sauvignon blanc. This once rare and ethereal beast is now made by the container-load, and sold in vast quantities by hypermarkets. So keep your wits about you if you are after benchmark quality wines and only stick to the very finest estates.

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Occasionally, a new name comes along and Stanley is a first-class example. How has Stanley made such strides in just two vintages? Easy accredited, sustainable viticulture and a high profile winemaker in the perfect form of Jules Taylor. Don't miss out on Stanley this year.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year ( www.matthewjukes.com ).

Matthew Jukes has been the MoneyWeek wine correspondent since 2006.

He has worked in the UK wine business for well over three decades and during this time has written 14 wine books. His four highly-acclaimed, annual wine reports – the Burgundy En Primeur Report, the Bordeaux En Primeur Report, the Piemonte Report and the 100 Best Australian Wines – are published on his website.

Matthew is a winner of the International Wine and Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year Trophy. His thoughts, recommendations and tastings notes are followed very closely by the wine world at large.