Catalina Sounds Marks 20 Years of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Excellence

Twenty years ago, a winery took its name from the landscape it would come to know intimately: the sounds of Marlborough, those deep water channels carved into New Zealand's South Island, and the Catalina flying boats that once skimmed across Pacific waters. Catalina Sounds has spent two decades turning that geography into wine, and this September marks the milestone of 20 vintages—a threshold that matters in an industry where consistency across seasons, across soil variations, across the unpredictable shifts of climate, separates the enduring producers from the rest.

The vineyard sits in Waihopai Valley, part of Marlborough's southern valleys sub-region. The soil here tells its own story: alluvial sand, silt, and gravel left behind by running water, loamy and studded with stones. Winemaker Matt Ward has watched this land through two decades of seasons, learning how the microclimates shift, how each block of vines responds differently to sun and rain. The plantings are dominated by sauvignon blanc, with smaller acreage devoted to pinot noir, pinot gris, and chardonnay. That focus on sauvignon blanc is deliberate. Marlborough has become synonymous with the variety—so many producers work the region that the market will never lack supply. Standing out requires something else: a clear point of view.

Ward's vision is one of restraint. He is not chasing wines that announce themselves loudly on the first sip and fade. Instead, he builds toward complexity, layering in texture and nuance that hold a drinker's attention across the glass. The 2025 Sauvignon Blanc carries earth-smoke notes alongside stone minerality, with core fruit of apple, lemon, and grapefruit, pineapple and green mango woven through. The 2024 vintage won Sauvignon Blanc of the Year at the London Wine Competition—recognition that the approach is working. His team uses cool tank fermentation, extended time on lees, and portions of large-format oak to achieve this effect. It is technical work grounded in philosophy: the wine should express where it comes from, not overshadow it.

Ward describes what he is after as "blending distinct expressions of place." Each vineyard block delivers its own character—punchy, ripe green notes here, citrus and salinity there—and the winemaking captures and combines these into a coherent whole. The 2024 Sound of White Sauvignon Blanc exemplifies this: hay and dried herbs in the bouquet, citrus and apple on the nose, then leesy complexity that opens as the wine breathes, delivering mineral notes and peach alongside sweet acidity and freshness. The 2023 Sound of White Chardonnay won the Chardonnay Trophy at the 2025 New Zealand International Wine Show, proof that the philosophy extends beyond sauvignon blanc.

Twenty vintages represent more than a calendar milestone. They represent a collective understanding built into the winery's identity—how Marlborough's environment shapes flavor, how seasonal variation teaches you to adapt, how to maintain consistency without sacrificing the character that makes a wine worth drinking. Ward and his team have moved beyond the foundation years. They know this land now. They know what it can give them.

Catalina Sounds is also a member of Appellation Marlborough Wine, adhering to the region's sustainability guidelines and quality standards. That membership is not ceremonial; it is part of how Marlborough maintains its reputation in a crowded market. As Ward puts it, Marlborough provides the raw material. The environment does most of the talking. The winery's job is to listen carefully and translate what it hears into the bottle. After 20 years, they have learned to do that well enough that international judges are taking notice. What comes next is what excites the team most—not resting on awards, but building on the foundation they have spent two decades laying.