2023 Blank Canvas Abstract Three Rows Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough

Fruit comes from the Holdway vineyard, which is perched in Dillons Point in the lower Wairau on the eastern edge. The Abstract block is completely dry farmed and whole-bunch pressed, with the free-run portion going straight to French oak puncheons (15% new); maturation on lees took place over 15 months. You'll be met with the fervour of ripe fruit aromas: preserved lemons, mango skin, quince and lime extract. It has a sandalwood spice and some baking oat biscuits. Its citrus brightness takes over on the palate, leading to mango once again. Like all of the white wine from Blank Canvas, texture, energy and lift are at the core of the wine. You are left feeling buoyant and invigorated. Drink to 2028.

95 points Shanteh Wale for Halliday Wine Companion, March 2026

The 2023 Abstract Sauvignon Blanc is from three rows in the Holdaway vineyard, and this three-row section is, and always has been, unirrigated. The wine is creamy, nutty and detailed, with a chalky texture, a floral nuance within and layers of mustard seed, fennel, cassis and lavender. This is a beautiful, thoughtful wine. The fruit is handpicked and whole-bunch pressed, and the free-run juice is sent straight to puncheons without being settled first. The fermentation initiates and goes through with indigenous yeast, then the wine is settled and not stirred and goes to bottle unfiltered. Drink to 2033.

94 points Erin Larkin for The Wine Advocate, June 2025

Complex flint and oak notes over elegant flavours of papaya and grapefruit. Structured and architectural, with some chewiness on the dry finish for interest. Refined, lots of detail and depth here; mineral savouriness and salinity. Quite reserved, it is just unfolding now and will provide food-friendly drinking in the mid-term. Drink to 2029.

94 points Stephen Wong for The Real Review, October 2025

A beautiful nose that’s very expressive and tense, offering savory aromas of orchard blossoms and hints of beeswax and citrus. Medium- to full-bodied, persistent and energetic, with a zesty, spicy, lightly phenolic palate. Long and characterful. Drink or hold.

94 points Andrii Stetsiuk for James Suckling, October 2025

The Holdaway vineyard in Dillons Point of the Lower Wairau has been farmed by the Holdaway family since 1864. Alan and Janette and their sons Richard and Robbie practice regenerative viticulture, prioritising soil health through composting, growing inter-row mixed species plantings to increase organic matter in the soil and a zero-till policy.

Their site sits on deep silt and loam soils close to the Wairau River and just three kilometres from the coastline. The Abstract block within the vineyard is dry-farmed, a relatively rare practice in Marlborough, and leaf-plucked after veraison for greater exposure and ripeness sought for this wine.

About this producer

Blank Canvas was founded in 2012 by husband-and-wife team Matt Thomson and Sophie Parker-Thomson MW as a culmination of decades of global experience and ongoing curiosity.

Their single vineyard New Zealand wines start lives as blank canvases, each seeking to present an authentic glimpse of a time and place through precision viticulture, restrained winemaking and transparent provenance.

The floor on quality is set high here, with wide critical acclaim bestowed on each wine and vintage. Blank Canvas is a certified member of the quality promoting Appellation Marlborough Wine as well as Sustainable New Zealand Winegrowing.