Paddy Borthwick Sauvignon Blanc Leads NZ Whites at Asia Wine Awards 2025

Who stands on the golden coast, and who waits across the burning shore?

Paddy Borthwick Sauvignon Blanc 2024 has claimed a Grand Gold medal and an impressive 95 points at the Asia Wine Awards 2025, one of the region’s most trusted and rigorous wine competitions. Judged blind by leading sommeliers, importers, and critics across Asia, the competition highlights wines that not only demonstrate technical excellence but also resonate with evolving Asian palates.

This was the highest score awarded to any New Zealand white wine in this year’s competition, underlining the wine’s standout appeal among a strong field. Bright lemon-green in the glass, the wine opens with fresh grassy and herbal aromas, underpinned by a touch of minerality. On the palate, it shows both richness and precision—round and full-bodied with lively citrus and herbal notes, balanced by brisk acidity and a prominent mineral backbone. Its moderate complexity and clean finish made it a natural standout among white wine entries, which saw a significant increase in both the number of entries and the quality this year.

The 2024 growing season in Wairarapa brought early budburst and an extended dry summer, allowing grapes to ripen fully on the vine. Harvested from two blocks of estate vines aged between 10 and 16 years, the fruit was handled minimally to preserve its natural vibrancy. Fermented in tank and aged on lees for several months without fining, the resulting wine reflects both the region’s stony alluvial soils and the estate’s low-intervention philosophy.

Paddy Borthwick, a family-owned winery established in 1996 in Gladstone, has long championed sustainable viticulture and a strong export focus, with 90% of its wines reaching international markets. This Grand Gold recognition is a timely affirmation of that vision, as Asia’s appetite for fresh, well-balanced whites continues to grow.

As the Asia Wine Awards 2025 spotlighted, white wines are gaining ground, accounting for over a third of all entries. For producers like Borthwick, this signals not just opportunity—but alignment. With its clarity, structure, and drinkability, the 2024 Sauvignon Blanc proves that Wairarapa whites are more than ready for the global stage.

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