Acclaimed Marlborough winery, te Pa Family Vineyards, has secured a spot on the prestigious and influential Wine Spectator Magazine Top 100 list for the first time. te Pa 2024 Sauvignon Blanc was awarded 90 points, which is defined as ‘Outstanding: A wine of superior character and style’.
The Wine Spectator Top 100 list is decided by the magazine’s senior editors who meet at the end of each year (blind tasting some 10,200+ new release wines in 2025 alone) and select 100 bottles from those wines that earned 90 points and higher.
The magazine noted; “This list comprises 100 bottles that really caught our attention – and are worthy of yours.” The list is being promoted as ‘The Year’s 100 Most Exciting Wines’.
The wine was reviewed by Senior Editor and New Zealand wine critic, MaryAnn Worobiec, who shared the 90-point score and tasting note below:
“Appealing for its generous flavors of mandarin orange, passion fruit, lime zest and yuzu at the core. There’s an appealingly fleshy, juicy texture and plenty of momentum on the finish, where lemon balm and ginger linger. Drink now.”
Speaking from the USA, te Pa owner and founder Haysley MacDonald says of the result; “What an incredible achievement for our team, topping off a major year for high scores, several trophies, and great international media coverage. To secure a spot on the Wine Spectator Top 100 has long been a goal of ours, so to see our flagship wine on the list gives us all a huge sense of pride.”
te Pa’s Chief Winemaker, Sam Bennett, says; “Being recognised in the Top 100 for the quality, value, availability, and X Factor of our flagship wine is a special moment for us as a team. 2024 was a fantastic vintage here in Marlborough. The unique location of our lower Wairau Valley vineyard means the wine has a distinctive tropical saline character and memorable style that we think makes it stand out in the Sauvignon Blanc category.”
Lia Tolaini-Banville, owner and founder of Banville Wine Merchants (te Pa’s US and Canadian importer) comments; “This incredible recognition from Wine Spectator speaks volumes about the exceptional quality of te Pa’s wines and the authenticity and dedication that define the estate. From day one, I have believed in te Pa’s potential to earn the utmost respect of critics and peers. This honor is a testament to the passion of Haysley and the entire te Pa team. Congratulations to te Pa on this well-deserved achievement.”
The te Pa Sauvignon Blanc is widely available in the USA, with on-premise and retail stockists, as well as many online direct to customer options. Sister brand Koha is also widely available across the USA.
The result comes off the back of several major milestones and awards for the Marlborough-based winery:
Trophy Chardonnay at the Marlborough Wine Show for te Pa Reserve Collection 2022 Auntsfield Chardonnay, and Trophy Pinot Noir for te Pa Reserve Collection 2024 Westhaven Pinot Noir (November 2025)
- Trophy for Champion Pinot Gris at the New Zealand International Wine Show for te Pa 2025 Pinot Gris (October 2025)
- te Pa 2024 Sauvignon Blanc Oke included in Appellation Marlborough Wine Annual Collection for 2025 (October 2025)
- Highest Wine Advocate scores for the winery to date, including two 95-point scores for the te Pa Reserve Collection 2023 Hillside Sauvignon Blanc and te PaReserve Collection 2023 Seaside Sauvignon Blanc (June 2025)
- Featured in the New York Times, Food & Wine Magazine, Jancis Robinson, Vinous, Halliday, Drinks Business UK, Decanter, and named as a ‘producer to watch’ in Wine Enthusiast Magazine (2025)
- te Pa is a current finalist in two categories in the New Zealand International Business Awards (Winners announced 27 November 2025)
- Won the title of ‘Kauta Producer of the Year’ as part of the TUKU M?ori Winemakers Collective (July 2025)
The complete Top 100 package, including detailed profiles for the full Top 100 list, will be in the magazine’s 31st December issue, on newsstands from the 2nd of December 2025.
About te Pa Family Vineyards
te Pa (which means the home, or the village in te reo M?ori, the indigenous language of Aotearoa – New Zealand) was founded by Haysley MacDonald in 2011. Haysley’s ancestors were part of the first migrations of indigenous M?ori to arrive in Aotearoa-New Zealand some 800 years ago, so the land in the Lower Wairau Valley area known as the Wairau Bar, has been in his family for generations.
Haysley and his family set about converting the dairy and crop farm into vineyards in 2003. Haysley shares the commitments of his ancestors who have lived off the same land for generations – a respect for the land, keeping simple things in balance and to be proudly independent.
Over the years, the estate has grown to close to 500 hectares under vine across five vineyards in the Wairau Bar and Awatere Valley, plus a few pockets of land elsewhere. With a focus on soil health, water conservation, and enhancing the ecology in the vineyards, Haysley is committed to sustaining the land that has been home to his ancestors for hundreds of years.
All of the wines produced are sustainably-grown, and vegan-friendly. The winery is currently exporting to 25+ international markets, and will celebrate its 15th grape harvest as a brand in 2026.