🇳🇿 Spy Valley E Block Sauvignon Blanc 2022 Marlborough

This is Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc with a passport and a personality. Single block fruit, crisp swagger, and the kind of finish that makes your fridge feel underdressed.

Wine Description

“Single Block E” is the point: this wine comes from Spy Valley’s Johnson Vineyard E Block in the Waihopai Valley, a block planted in 1995 and bottled as its own main character. 

The 2022 vintage leans into freshness and texture, with fermentation and aging split between stainless steel and neutral barrels, so you get snap without losing the silky little glow-up.

Made by Spy Valley’s winemaking team (Wendy Stuckey and Emily Gaspard-Clark), this is the bottle you open when you want Sauvignon Blanc to flirt back instead of just shouting “citrus” at you. 

Vine-To-Table: Meet the Winemaker 

Emily Gaspard-Clark is one of the key names behind Spy Valley today, and she was named New Zealand Young Winemaker of the Year in 2019, which is not exactly a participation trophy.

The Vibe

Clean, confident, slightly smug in the best way, like someone who actually reads the menu before ordering. It’s the kind of Sauvignon Blanc that works for a casual Tuesday but also plays very well with “we’re having oysters and pretending we’re chill.”

What it tastes like 

Lifted florals, grapefruit, and white peach up front, then passion fruit and sweet lime with a mineral edge and mouthwatering acidity that keeps everything tight. 

Pairing + When to drink it 

Go full coastal with oysters, ceviche, sushi, goat cheese salads, or anything with herbs and citrus, because this wine loves a fresh squeeze moment. It’s ready now and built to stay bright for the next few years, with at least one reviewer calling it a great drink-through-summer bottle into 2026.

Quick Specs 

• Producer: Spy Valley

• Winemaker: Wendy Stuckey; Emily Gaspard-Clark

• Region/Appellation: Marlborough GI; Waihopai Valley (single block)

• Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc

• Vintage: 2022

• Farming: Sustainable practices

• Winemaking/Aging: Fermented and aged in stainless steel and neutral barrels; single block selection

• ABV: 12.5%

• Bottle size: 750 mL

Critic Reviews

• Robert Parker Wine Advocate: 91 points, reviewed vintage: 2022
  

• Cameron Douglas MS (Top regional guide): 90 points, reviewed vintage: 2022, date: October 19, 2023
  Excerpt: Fresh, herbaceous, tropical-fruit energy with a crisp, dry, salivating finish.

• Decanter: 90 points, reviewed vintage: 2020, date: October 6, 2021
  Excerpt: Classic passion fruit and melon with extra roundness from lees and a small portion fermented in old oak.

FAQs 

Q: Why is it called “Spy Valley,” and is that just marketing drama?
A: The name is tied to the Waihopai Valley area, which is known for a nearby communications and listening station reference that helped inspire the “Spy” identity. Spy Valley has leaned into that story as part of its brand.

Q: What does “E Block” mean on Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc?
A: It refers to a specific block within Spy Valley’s Johnson Vineyard in the Waihopai Valley, bottled as a single-block wine rather than a broader blend. That block was planted in 1995.

Q: Who is Emily Gaspard-Clark and why should I care?
A: She’s one of Spy Valley’s winemakers and was named New Zealand Young Winemaker of the Year in 2019, which signals serious talent, not just a cool LinkedIn headline.

Q: Is this wine actually 100% Sauvignon Blanc?
A: The E Block is presented as Sauvignon Blanc in the producer technical material, and a Decanter review for a prior vintage lists it as 100% Sauvignon Blanc.

Q: What’s the point of using neutral barrels for Sauvignon Blanc here?
A: Spy Valley notes fermentation and aging across stainless steel and neutral barrels, which can add texture without turning the wine into an oaky distraction.