A wonderfully complex, modern Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc expression. Fermented wild in large format French oak with a portion of full skins contact. Aromatic and savoury with textural layers of complexity and a long, dry finish.
A cool, high-humidity start to vintage meant we benefited greatly from precise canopy management to mitigate disease pressure and optimise sun exposure for the fruit. The success of this program enabled us to harvest ripe, clean fruit with slightly lower alcohol and great natural acidity. Mild conditions allowed for extended ripening, creating beautiful aromatics and fine ripe tannins in our reds. Marri Blossom was non-existent throughout the region in 2019, resulting in the largest netting program ever seen at Vasse Felix to protect the fruit from bird damage. Overall, a labour intensive vintage that resulted in beautiful quality fruit.
95 points + Special Value Rating
Creamy, rounded and supremely textural, this moves away from the spiny sauvignon blanc we are accustomed to and moves into a New World European space. Heady Margaret River florals and leafy greens (coriander, broad beans and sugar snap peas) linger in the background, making this a brilliant excuse for lunch. From the land and into the glass - what a beauty.
95 points
Winemaker Virginia Willcock has pushed into exotic areas with this little beauty. It’s mostly savvy with about 11 per cent semillon and was wild fermented in French oak foudres. It also has some time in puncheons and barriques and there's quite a high percentage of new oak.
'tight, textural, gorgeous'
Lots going on here: some grassy semillon blended with sauvignon juice (wild fermented and matured in 3000-litre oak barrels called foudres and also in smaller puncheons and barriques) and a splash of savoury, skins-fermented savvy all combine to produce a tight, textural, gorgeous white wine with grape-pulpy fruitiness balanced by nettle-like, gooseberry fuzz. Drink with prawn cocktails.
93 Points
One wine style that is often forgotten from Margaret River is lightly oaked sauvignon blanc. The combination of quite ripe Margaret River fruit with subtle oak is a match made in heaven and the best wines can compete on quality with all but the region’s best chardonnays, thanks to considerable power and complexity. The cooler 2019 vintage has made a more elegant style than usual with a pale colour and bright, fresh fruits. There are layers of guava, citrus and green grass aromas which are well balanced with spicy oak and some savoury lees complexity. In the mouth it’s crisp and light on its feet with vibrant fruit driven by fresh acidity. The combination of generous fruit and texture from oak make it an each way style – delicious on its own but also has the power to be delicious with classic quiche over lunch.