Company: Barrel Booze
RSP: £6.49
Market size: £4.7bn
The competition: Cloudy Bay, Villa Maria, Maven Wines
The consumer
This wine initially impressed, with an easy-to-open bottle and a pleasant smell. The fruity aroma suggested a fresh and interesting wine, but unfortunately the positive first impression quickly gave way to an unpleasant and acidic aftertaste. I would struggle to finish more than a glass - and there are cheaper wines that are more pleasant to drink than this. Two stars (out of five)
Carolina Gallardo, teacher, Uckfield
The retailer
New Zealand has had a bumper harvest, so there are a lot of new brands appearing as the vineyards look to sell through the additional stock. Century Hill is one of the better ones. The acidity and typical New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc characters of gooseberry, citrus and tropical fruits balance well. The branding is sharp, if minimal. This is a good wine for the price point; it won't challenge the brand leaders long term but at £6.49 offers good value for money. Four stars
Henry Moran, trading manager, Musgrave Retail Partners
The Grocer
I usually like Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs. Not this one though. It smelt nice enough but the flavour was utterly one-dimensional - the sort of thing you'd expect from a cheap house white not a wine with a £6.49 price tag. As for the promised 'long finish', all I got was heartburn it was so acidic. Looks-wise it didn't impress either. In fact, the labelling was as nondescript as the flavour. Two stars
Liz Hamson, deputy editor
RSP: £6.49
Market size: £4.7bn
The competition: Cloudy Bay, Villa Maria, Maven Wines
The consumer
This wine initially impressed, with an easy-to-open bottle and a pleasant smell. The fruity aroma suggested a fresh and interesting wine, but unfortunately the positive first impression quickly gave way to an unpleasant and acidic aftertaste. I would struggle to finish more than a glass - and there are cheaper wines that are more pleasant to drink than this. Two stars (out of five)
Carolina Gallardo, teacher, Uckfield
The retailer
New Zealand has had a bumper harvest, so there are a lot of new brands appearing as the vineyards look to sell through the additional stock. Century Hill is one of the better ones. The acidity and typical New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc characters of gooseberry, citrus and tropical fruits balance well. The branding is sharp, if minimal. This is a good wine for the price point; it won't challenge the brand leaders long term but at £6.49 offers good value for money. Four stars
Henry Moran, trading manager, Musgrave Retail Partners
The Grocer
I usually like Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs. Not this one though. It smelt nice enough but the flavour was utterly one-dimensional - the sort of thing you'd expect from a cheap house white not a wine with a £6.49 price tag. As for the promised 'long finish', all I got was heartburn it was so acidic. Looks-wise it didn't impress either. In fact, the labelling was as nondescript as the flavour. Two stars
Liz Hamson, deputy editor
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