D’Arenberg Broken Fishplate Sauvignon Blanc 2025
- 92
- $22
- Drink by: 2026-2029
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Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc, the team partially fermented a small percentage of the grapes in older French oak in order to add to the texture and complexity. The name refers to part of the machinery used in the vineyards, which looks like a plate and is regularly broken during operations. While it has nothing to do with fish or seafood of any kind, the wine would certainly work with oysters or fresh prawns or pretty much anything one might drag from the ocean. A near transparent lemon, this is a lovely mix of the tropical, floral and saline. Notes of passionfruits and sea breezes are to the fore, with hints of citrus. There is good concentration here in this wine of medium length. A fresh style, this is no shrinking violet with flavours exploding from the glass. Bright and attractive drinking for the next two to three years.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
