In my part of the wine world, this is the kind of deal you only see once a year. I first tasted Settlement Sauvignon Blanc back in February, and I loved it. With powerful aromas of grapefruit, clementine, and stone fruit accents, complemented by a richly textured, almost creamy palate with zesty acidity and wonderful drive, I thought this was a no brainer to put on the shelf at $20. It was a bit of a shock to me when we were offered an outrageous price on this hand crafted, single-vineyard, all-organic Sauvignon Blanc–I bought every last bottle. Settlement was founded by industry veteran Steve Planthaber, who spent over a decade making wines at Marlborough’s iconic Cloudy Bay Winery. During his tenure he began to notice unique vineyard sites that were being blended into high volume brands that produced phenomenal fruit, then decided to start his label, crafting a handful of premium wines from incredible vineyard sources. Take for instance the Heritage Vineyard. Planted in 1990, the vines are nearly 35 years old, a rarity in Marlborough, and fully converted to organic in 2009. Combine that with thoughtful winemaking, like partial fermentation in French Oak, no filtration, and sur lie aging, the thoughtfulness and craftsmanship of excellent Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is fully on display here. At this price there is absolutely nothing being made in Marlborough that even comes close to this caliber of quality. An absolute must-try.