2022 Vasse Felix Sauvignon Blanc

95 POINTS

Jane Faulkner - Halliday Wine Companion

If you are expecting or, indeed, wanting a tropical, punchy wine, walk away. If you want a complex, layered, textural sauvignon blanc, stick around. Wild-yeast fermented in French oak foudre and oak puncheons with some skin contact, hence the pale gold hue and excellent phenolic tension on the palate. In the mix, quince paste, fennel flower and seeds, dried lemon-lime slices and some oatmeal biscuits. The palate is all about texture, layers of flavour and mouth-watering acidity. Classy and great on its own, even better with food.

94 POINTS

Ray Jordan

There’s a bit of winemaking here which lifts this from your standard model savvy into something a lot more engaging. Fermented in French oak foudres and puncheons with some getting fruit skin contact. It’s created a thoroughly beautiful mouthfeel and textural richness. The oak infusion is so gentle, finessing the flavours through to a sustained balanced finish. Love this style.

94 POINTS

James Suckling

Golden yellow in appearance. The nose gives deeply complex notes of passion fruit curd, black tea, dried mangoes and lemon blossoms. The palate is medium-bodied with focused acidity and a textural mouthfeel, showing notes of grilled pineapple, poached apples and biscuits. Very generous with a lightly astringent edge. There was 27% skin contact before maturation in large vessels.