Domaine Naturaliste Sauvage Sauvignon Blanc 2020

The Sauvage Sauvignon Blanc from Domaine Naturaliste refers to the native – or wild – yeasts that inhabit the grape skins and vineyard environment and then conduct fermentation. The wine style is a little wild too, with maturation in 500 litre French puncheons ‘sur lie’ (spent on yeast lees) and lees stirring, producing a richer, more complex wine than the Discovery SBS. The wine has enticing aromas of honey, vanilla and butter, straw and dried hay, in layers with a tropical fruit salad of kiwifruit and pineapple. The palate is savoury and almost herbal with glimpses of pencil oak, but it’s also textural and weighty, and there’s steeliness for acidity, finishing with delicious grapefruit peel astringency. It is opulent and wild too, and wildly over delivers for the price. Baked goats’ cheese with hazelnuts and dressed endive would be a superb match.