SOLD OUT! For lovers of classic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, you’ve got to try the 2016 Otto’s Constant Dream! I’ll tell you more about the crazy name later, but for now, I’ll tell you that this is what every New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc drinker wants and more!
Fully dry and highly aromatic, the wine is crisp and crunchy with soaring aromas and flavors of gooseberry, lime zest, tangerine and green herbs. Even better, there’s not a hint of funky cat pee or sweetness. And even better than that, OCD Sauvignon Blanc comes to you at less than $20/bottle.
2016 Ottos Constant Dream Sauvignon Blanc – Marlborough, New Zealand
91 points – Josh Spurling
SOLD OUT
So now more about how the wine’s odd name. OCD is the wine that launched Communal Brands, a New York based importer and wholesaler. Inspired by company founder Melissa Saunders’ obsessive nature about wine, her friend and business partner, Chris Antista, created a wine in her honor: OCD (aka Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). She applied her obsessive nature to find the right juice for her eponymous brand, ultimately finding a connection in her husband’s native New Zealand. All was fine and dandy until the couple tried to get the wine past the TTB — these are the folks who approve and disapprove of all new wine labels sold in the US. They wouldn’t approve the OCD label, so Melissa quickly renamed the wine Otto’s Constant Dream. The TTB approved this one and the rest is history.
I’m glad they got it all figured out because this is top-notch Sauvignon Blanc at a great price. Estate grown and sustainably farmed, the wine comes from a variety Marlborough sites and soil types. Vineyards in Rapaura produce very pretty wines due to the free draining nature of the soils, while Omaka vineyard soils have a higher clay content, producing wines with more power on the palate. All blocks are fermented separately primarily in stainless steel, with a very small percentage in French Oak, to contribute nice texture.
The resulting wine explodes out of the glass, as New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc should! There’s nothing shy or timid about this wine. It’s boisterous, it’s loud, and it’s in-your-face — that’s what I love about it. An ideal white to drink on warm and sunny spring and summer days, it’s also a great compliment to any sort of fish or seafood preparation. Don’t feel like cooking? Pick up a bottle of Otto’s Constant Dream and some takeout Thai or Indian food. You’ll thank me!
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville