Marlborough Mussels
Green-lipped mussels, steamed in fresh chilli, onion and a splash of our Sauvignon make for a perfect Marlborough-centric meal.
Discover our new range that showcases Marlborough's finest.
This crisp, refreshing Sauvignon Blanc comes from the Awatere Valley in Marlborough, New Zealand. The Awatere Valley is well-known for producing Sauv with tropical aromatics, such as grilled pineapple and dry herbs, and for delivering wine with beautiful texture and age ability. The two blocks selected for this wine combine to produce a wonderfully aromatic and delicate Sauvignon Blanc that is classically Awatere in character.
Aromas of tropical fruit, flavours of passionfruit, fresh pineapple and guava, leading onto subtle notes of tomato leaf and crushed oyster shell.
The palate offers striking orchard fruit flavours of peach, granny smith apple and fresh cut nectarines, following fresh citrus notes. The wine finishes long with a crystalline expression of fresh fruit.
Our Uncharted range invites you to discover the best of Marlborough. A place between the snow and the sea, where mountain ranges give way to rivers, and sunshine reigns supreme. Experience our tribute to this beautiful, untameable region. Join us, on an Uncharted journey.
Awatere Valley, Marlborough
We pay particular attention to detail in our Uncharted wines, selecting only small premium parcels of fruit from two of our Awatere Valley vineyards with heavier soils. This adds texture and subtle flint notes, and ensures an intense and distinctive flavour profile that characterises the Awatere Valley subregion.
This wine is aged on lees for three to four months which gives a really beautiful mouth feel. A small percentage of the wine is aged in 1000L German Fuder barrels, allowing our winemakers to add just a touch of oak while allowing the fruit to sing.
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Green-lipped mussels, steamed in fresh chilli, onion and a splash of our Sauvignon make for a perfect Marlborough-centric meal.
Duncan has always loved science and the outdoors. Winemaking in Marlborough allows him to enjoy his two passions every day. Read more
Experience Marlborough in a glass with the brand new Giesen Uncharted range
Read moreIt’s with great pleasure that we’re raising a glass to welcome our new Chief Winemaker, Duncan Shouler. Duncan’s been part of the Giesen winemaking team as Senior Winemaker since 2017 meaning he’s integral to our recent winemaking success and...
Read moreYou heard us correctly - we've had a facelift.
Read more"Brilliantly fruited and fabulously aromatic with passionfruit, feijoa, kaffir lime and green apple notes with a hint of musky overtone. The powerfully expressed palate delivers terrific fruit intensity and vibrancy, finishing long and delicious. At its best: now to 2025.
2021 Vintage; Reviewed July 2021."
Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
"A calm satin textured bouquet leading to ripe citrus, soft sage and basil herb qualities, mineral, lees and youthful varietal appeal. On the palate - tense, vibrant, fresh and youthful with a core of fresh white peach, lemon, sage and mineral flavours. The firm youthful texture with acidity and fruit spice, lees and moderate alcohol dovetail nicely into a lengthy, balanced and true Sauvignon Blanc finish. Great drinking today and through 2024+
2020 Vintage, Reviewed October 2020.
Featured in Top 20 NZ Sauvignon Blancs of 2020 by Decanter Magazine"
Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier
"Fresh and lifted zingy nose of pear, honeydew melon, lemon pith, tropical and herbal tones. Herbaceous palate, green capsicum to finish.
2020 Vintage, Awarded Silver Medal July 2020"
Decanter World Wine Awards
"Pale straw hue. The nose has classic aromas of lemongrass and capsicum but a fine sea-spray note adds interest. The palate is finer than many of this region, taut with a drive of acid keeping it bright and fresh. A savoury saline minerality gives length and persistence, carrying well into the finish.
2020 Vintage, Reviewed January 2021."
Stuart Knox, The Real Review
"Featured: Best Buy Wines $25 & Under
A new label from two blocks in the Awatere Valley, the wine has distinctive subregional characters of lemongrass, green capsicum, oyster shell, lime zest and pineapple. Impressively pure with an ethereal texture supported by lovely juicy acidity balanced by a seductive suggestion of fruit sweetness. Sauvignon blanc that punches well above its weight. BC
2020 Vintage, Reviewed February 2021."
Gourmet Traveller Best Buy Wines
"Piercing aromatics of boysenberry and passionfruit with some grassy tones. The palate is vibrant and enjoys tropical fruits that are offset by a herbaceous edge and taut lines of acidity that give both focus and length. A very impressive release at the price point.
2020 Vintage, Reviewed February 2021."
Patrick Eckel, winereviewer.com.au
"Wine of the Week
This top-value wine is delicious now. Hand-picked in the Awatere Valley and partly barrel-aged, it is ripely scented, with impressive intensity of fresh, lively melon, pineapple and herb flavours, a distinct touch of complexity, balanced acidity and a long, dry finish.
2020 Vintage, Featured April 2021."
Michael Cooper
"It's beautifully composed and wonderfully flavoursome, showing passionfruit, kiwifruit, kaffir lime and white floral aromas on the nose. The palate is equally satisfying with excellent weight and fruit intensity, finishing impressively long and delicious. At its best: now to 2024.
2020 Vintage, Reviewed November 2020."
Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
"#1 2020 MARLBOROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC; TOP RANK; TOP VALUE; FEATURED BUY OF THE WEEK
From two blocks in the Awatere Valley with typical subregional flavours of lemongrass, green capsicum, oyster-shell, lime zest and pineapple flavours supported by lovely juicy acidity. Impressive purity and an ethereal texture.
2020 Vintage, Reviewed November 2020."
Bob Campbell, The Real Review
"Already delicious, this distinctive Awatere Valley wine was hand-picked and handled in a mix of stainless steel tanks, French oak barriques and German oak fuders. Bright, light/green, it is a ripely scented, lively, medium to full-bodied wine, with very good intensity of fresh melon, passionfruit and herb flavours, balanced acidity and a dry finish.
2020 Vintage, Reviewed November 2020."
Winestate New Zealand
"Pungently aromatic, strongly in the herbal camp with forest leaves, cut grass and smoldering gun-flint characters. Dry, restrained, with a taut gravelly acid structure that finishes crisp and firm.
2020 Vintage, Reviewed December 2020"
New Zealand Wine Rater
"Bright, even, pale yellow. The nose is softly full, vibrant with penetrating aromas of limes, lychees, melded with elderflower and spicy notes of fresh-cut herbs. Medium-bodied, dry to taste, the palate is elegantly presented, crunchy lime sorbet underlined lychees, passionfruit, along with white spices and elderflower cordial. The fruit has a tropical tone, illustrated softly, adorn by elderflower and well-balanced acidity, flow with poise and grace along a fine-textured phenolic line. Subtle white spices intermix fresh-cut herbs of scallions and basil lifted the finish to linearity. This is an elegantly-soft Sauvignon Blanc with vibrant tropical fruit of limes and lychees, along with elderflower and spice details. Match with clams and whitebait fritters over the next 2-3 years. Fruit from Awatere Valley, fermented to 12.5% alc, 2.8 g/l RS, on lees for 3 to 4 months in a mix of vessels; stainless steel, 300L French barrels and 1,000L German Fuder.
2020 Vintage, Reviewed December 2020"
Raymond Chan Wine Reviews
"This newly released wine from Giesen is part of a range created to help wine drinkers better understand the idiosyncrasies of Marlborough's subregions. The Uncharted Sauvignon Blanc is made with grapes grown in the Awatere Valley, a slightly cooler, drier and windier location with higher elevation than most of Marlborough's vineyards. The result is a refreshingly citrusy Sauvignon with bold aromas of kaffir lime, lime zest and green apple, balanced by a smooth finish. Super drinkable now and will definitely hold for another three to four years.
2020 Vintage, Reviewed February 2021"
Joelle Thomson