2024 Weaver Lenswood Sauvignon Blanc, Adelaide Hills

2026 Sauvignon Blanc of the Year. Score awarded by the Halliday tasting panel at the annual Awards judging. MB writes: Tip-top release of a regional stalwart. Classic lime and passionfruit characters with faint ginger, vanilla cream and pink grapefruit. Good concentration of flavour, length, too, with some fine, dusty pucker doing pleasing things. Excellent in its way, elevating a simple wine approach so well. Go in.

97 points Special Value Mike Bennie winecompanion.com.au

Weaver’s Lenswood Sauvignon Blanc is a beautiful expression of Adelaide Hills’ cool-climate winemaking, crafted by Peter and Bec Weaver from their family-run vineyard in Lenswood. The site itself sits high in the Hills at around 500 metres above sea level, which gives the grapes that vital long, slow ripening period. Cool nights preserve natural acidity while crisp mountain air and lean soils create Sauvignon Blanc with drive, tension and a lifted aromatic profile.

Unlike some of the more tropical, exuberant Sauvignon Blancs from Marlborough, Lenswood fruit tends to lean towards precision and elegance. Weaver’s version is wonderfully aromatic with notes of gooseberry, green apple, kaffir lime and fresh herbs, backed by subtle passionfruit and a mineral edge. On the palate it’s taut and zesty with a chalky texture and a mouthwatering line of citrus, finishing clean and refreshing. This is a wine designed to highlight place rather than simple fruit expression.

Peter and Bec have become known in the Hills for their thoughtful and hands-on approach. Their vineyard is sustainably farmed and every small parcel is handled with the kind of attention that comes only from a family estate where the vines are nurtured daily. Weaver’s Sauvignon Blanc has quickly gained a loyal following for its balance and purity, often considered a more sophisticated, food-friendly style than many of its peers.

In terms of food pairings, it shines with freshly shucked oysters, salt and pepper squid, sashimi, or a classic chèvre salad with lemon dressing. It also works beautifully with asparagus risotto or grilled zucchini finished with mint. While Sauvignon Blanc is generally best enjoyed young, this wine has the structure and acidity to hold for two to three years, where it takes on a slightly rounder, more textural profile.