Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Australian Wine Companion
Perhaps one of Australia's most famed sauvignon blancs with a seemingly unnerving level of quality for the pricepoint. No slouch here, a zesty, fresh, bright and crisp rendering of the variety. Resplendent with passionfruit, just-ripe pineapple, lime and cut-grass characters between the bouquet and palate, very even, flows well, finishes with decent length and a light chalky pucker. Just so, done well, easy drinking and moderately complex to boot.
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James Suckling
The nose is fresh and vibrant, with refined aromas of lychees, orange blossoms, cut grass, candied limes and flint. The palate is light- to medium-bodied with precise acidity, a generous mouthfeel and notes of green apple skin, grapefruit pith and lemon peel. Fresh with generous complexity.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I love this wine. It tastes the same every year, which is impressive considering the relative size of it. So, this 2024 Sauvignon Blanc leads with juniper and cassis, green apples, white-topped strawberries, nashi pear and snow peas. In the mouth, it is tightly coiled, fresh and zippy, with a distinct salsa verde (green chili, coriander) character to close. This is very good.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
A narrow band of hills and valleys east of the city of Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills region is a diverse landscape featuring a variety of microclimates. In general it is moderate with high-altitude areas cooler and wetter compared to its warmer, lower areas.
Piccadilly Valley, the part of Adelaide Hills closest to the city, was first staked out by a grower named Brian Croser, in the 1970s for a cool spot to grow Chardonnay, then uncommon in Australia. Today a good amount of the Chardonnay goes to winemakers outside of the region.
Producers here experiment with other cool-climate loving aromatic varieties like Pinot Gris, Viognier and Riesling. Charming sparkling wine is also possible. On its north side, lower, west-facing slopes make full-bodied Shiraz.