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Russian Jack, Sauvignon Blanc 2019
WhiteNew Zealand2019
By Daniel Min · Tasted 2020-03-19 · Published 2026-09-23 · Updated 2026-09-23
At a glance
In one line
4.0/5 — lower than Vivino's 4.1 average · world avg price US$13 · A Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough's Martinborough Vineyard, released under a second label named after Russian Jack — the real-life swagman Barrett Crumen, who was shipwrecked into New Zealand in 1912 and spent 53 years walking the roads and clearing land for the vineyards that followed.
No critic score is listed on Vivino.
Market note: The recommended drinking window is listed as 2021–2023, so as of 2026 this vintage should be considered past its freshest point.
What this wine is
The name "Russian Jack" belongs to a real person. Latvian-born Barrett Crumen set foot in New Zealand in 1912 after the ship Star of Canada wrecked near Gisborne. He'd planned to leave again, but stayed instead, and for the next 53 years he walked across the North Island's Manawatū and Wairarapa regions, taking seasonal farm work as he went. His thick accent earned him the nickname "Russian Jack" — which he apparently deflected with "Ivan, what you call Jack." Known as an honest, hardworking "gentleman swaggie," he earned the trust of local communities, and kept to the road until frostbite forced him off it in 1965. He died in 1968 at age 90, and in 1997 a statue of him was unveiled in Masterton's Library Park.
Martinborough Vineyard put his name on this second label, describing it as "an ode to the hard work of swaggers" like him — one man's story standing in for the whole line of anonymous laborers who cleared scrubland into the vineyards New Zealand relies on today. The fruit itself, though, isn't from Martinborough but from Marlborough — the heartland of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Ever since David Hohnen founded Cloudy Bay there in 1985 and international critics called it "arguably the best Sauvignon Blanc in the world," Marlborough's style has come to define the whole country's wine industry.
What the world says
This 2019 vintage has been rated by 2,498 people on Vivino, averaging 4.1 (15,869 ratings for the label overall, also 4.1). No critic score is on file.
The flavor keywords lead with a citrus group — citrus, lime, grapefruit — at 1,442 mentions, followed by passion fruit and tropical notes (888) and a vegetal group of grass and gooseberry (420). Structure: acidity 4.3/5, among the highest of any white this magazine has covered, and intensity 2.6, on the lighter side — a classically bright, crisp Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.
"Amazing notes of passion fruit, lime, grapefruit, minerals and gooseberry. As good as the 2018 vintage." — Vivino review, Sep 2020, 4.5 stars
"No acidity, no bitterness. Fresh and aromatic. Considering the low price, very promising." — Vivino review, Jan 2021, 4.5 stars
My score of 4.0 lines up almost exactly with the community average of 4.1 — a rare case where my first taste of an unfamiliar style landed close to the consensus.
How I drank it
"Passion fruit, tropical, minerals, lemon grass... the moment we caught the first aroma, everyone at the table went 'wait, that's the fruit — passion fruit!' I'd only ever drunk Bordeaux-style Sauvignon Blanc before, and this was my first Marlborough. I fell for the first impression on the nose — the tropical aroma filled my whole nose like I could reach out and touch it — and the palate delivered the true character of Sauvignon Blanc really well. I'm looking forward to more Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc." 19 March 2020, 4.0 stars.
The most telling line is "I'd only ever drunk Bordeaux-style Sauvignon Blanc before." My tasting log has Sauvignon Blanc in several different styles: Château Olivier Pessac-Léognan Blanc 2016 from Bordeaux's Graves region (Jan 2020, 3.5 stars) was restrained, oak- and mineral-led; 1865 Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2015 from Chile's Leyda Valley (Nov 2019, 4.0 stars) sat somewhere between the two styles. This Russian Jack scored clearly higher than both — and the phrase "tropical aroma filled my whole nose" suggests I rewarded boldness over restraint. It's the textbook reaction of someone raised on Bordeaux's understated minerality meeting Marlborough's showier tropical aromatics for the first time.
Where this wine shows up
Latvian-born Barrett Crumen was shipwrecked into New Zealand in 1912 and spent 53 years walking between farms for work; Martinborough Vineyard made this second label an ode to laborers like him.
Wikipedia — Barrett Crumen · Martinborough Wine Merchants — Martinborough Vineyard Russian Jack product page
Artwork and stills are not reproduced for copyright reasons; scenes are summarised.
Vivino community data
2019 vintage rating distribution (2498 ratings, average 4.1)
| 5★ | 502 (20%) | |
| 4★ | 1521 (61%) | |
| 3★ | 443 (18%) | |
| 2★ | 22 (1%) | |
| 1★ | 10 (0%) |
Most-mentioned aromas
| Family | Mentions | Top keywords |
|---|---|---|
| Citrus | 1442 | citrus 572 · lime 402 · grapefruit 236 · lemon 194 · orange 15 |
| Tropical | 888 | passion fruit 362 · tropical 322 · pineapple 91 · mango 31 · guava 30 |
| Vegetal | 420 | grass 190 · gooseberry 180 · straw 12 · asparagus 9 · tomato leaf 9 |
| Stone fruit & apple | 418 | green apple 137 · apple 110 · peach 75 · pear 36 · melon 35 |
| Earth | 202 | minerals 127 · honey 26 · stone 25 · salt 11 · earthy 3 |
| Spices | 65 | lemon grass 40 · pepper 14 · mint 3 · cinnamon 2 · jalapeno 2 |
| Floral | 58 | elderflower 29 · acacia 8 · jasmine 8 · perfume 4 · honeysuckle 3 |
Structure: Acidity 4.3/5 · Intensity 2.6/5
Average by vintage (all vintages: 15869 ratings, average 4.1)
| Vintage | Average | Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.9 | 171 |
| 2024 | 3.9 | 370 |
| 2023 | 4.0 | 414 |
| 2022 | 4.0 | 502 |
| 2021 | 4.1 | 750 |
| 2020 | 4.1 | 2960 |
| 2019 | 4.1 | 2498 |
| 2018 | 4.2 | 1511 |
My original note (Vivino, 2020-03-19)
“passion fruit tropical minerals lemon grass 첫 아로마 맡자마자 일행들이 모두~~ 어이거 그 과일~~ 이자나~~ 패션후르츠~~ 정말 넘 정직 한거 아냐??^^ 쇼비뇽블랑은 보르도 스타일만 먹다 말보로 첨먹었는데 아로마에 첫인상에 반했다~ 코를 꽉채우는 트로피칼이 수중에 있는듯한 느낌에 팔렛에서는 본연의 쇼블의 느낌을 잘 표현해주었다~ 앞으로도 말보로 쇼블이 기대된다~”
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→Frequently asked questions
What kind of wine is Russian Jack Sauvignon Blanc 2019?
A 100% Sauvignon Blanc white from Marlborough, New Zealand, released by Martinborough Vineyard under a second label named for the swagmen of the pioneer era. Vivino: 2,498 ratings averaging 4.1; no critic score on file.
How much does it cost?
World average price: to be confirmed via Wine-Searcher (US$13 per 750ml ex-tax (Wine-Searcher, Sept 2026)).
What food pairs well with it?
Vivino users suggest shellfish, vegetarian dishes and goat's milk cheese. With acidity at 4.3/5, it's a bright, crisp white that pairs especially well with seafood.
Who is the wine's namesake, "Russian Jack"?
Barrett Crumen, a Latvian-born swagman who settled in New Zealand in 1912 and spent 53 years walking the North Island for farm work. A statue of him was unveiled in Masterton in 1997, and Martinborough Vineyard describes this second label as an ode to laborers like him.
Links & sources
View on Vivino · Prices on Wine-Searcher
- Vivino — wine page and community data
- Wikipedia — Barrett Crumen
- BushLife NZ — Russian Jack, the last of the swag men
- Martinborough Wine Merchants — Martinborough Vineyard Russian Jack product page
- Wikipedia — Cloudy Bay Vineyards
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France · Bordeaux★★★½☆Same grapePascal Cotat Sancerre 'Les Monts Damnés' 2022
France · LoireSame grape1865 Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc Leyda Valley 2015
Chile★★★★☆Highly rated by DanielAntinori, Tenuta Tignanello 'Solaia' 2012
Italy · Tuscany★★★★★Highly rated by DanielChâteau Cheval Blanc, Le Petit Cheval 2004
France · Bordeaux★★★★★Highly rated by Daniel