2020 Domaine Naturaliste Sauvage Wallcliffe Sauvignon Blanc, Margaret River

A great white-wine vintage. Bright straw-green, barrel fermented in French puncheons (33% new), but that is not the only winemaking input, some enriching use of solids also in play. It's complex, with a lineage that will ensure the wine has a very healthy life ahead.

96 points Special Value James Halliday winecompanion.com.au 

Wild fermentation and a hands off approach define the philosophy behind Sauvage, one of Domaine Naturaliste's most distinctive white wines. Founded by renowned winemaker Bruce Dukes, the Margaret River estate has earned a reputation for producing wines that express site, variety and vintage with clarity and restraint. Drawing on decades of experience in one of Australia's greatest wine regions, Dukes crafts wines that balance innovation with the exceptional quality of Margaret River fruit.

The Wallcliffe subregion sits close to the Southern Ocean, where cooling maritime breezes and gravelly loam soils provide ideal conditions for Sauvignon Blanc. The 2020 vintage produced fruit of outstanding intensity and natural balance. Wild yeast fermentation and careful maturation on lees have added texture, complexity and savoury character, creating a more layered and sophisticated expression than the classic fruit driven style.

Pale straw with brilliant green highlights, the bouquet is immediately captivating, revealing aromas of grapefruit, preserved lemon and white nectarine layered with notes of lemongrass, fresh herbs and struck flint. The palate is richly textured yet beautifully focused, offering flavours of citrus, passionfruit and ripe stone fruits supported by vibrant acidity and a fine mineral thread. Lees ageing contributes a creamy mouthfeel and subtle savoury complexity, while the finish is long, dry and exceptionally persistent with lingering citrus and saline notes.

This is a superb match for grilled lobster, barbecued king prawns, seared scallops, Thai seafood curry or a charred asparagus and burrata salad. Equally rewarding on its own, it showcases a more complex and textural side of Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc.