Stella Bella Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc 2023
- 95
- $28
- Drink by: 2023-2030
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Sauvignon Blanc is alive and well in Margaret River. No longer interested in twisting itself into a Marlborough-like facsimile, it’s happy in its own skin. Exhibit A: here is a Sauvignon that is round, warm, textural and expressive. The grape’s methoxypyrazine levels (ie. green herbals) have been turned down in volume and, instead, we see that Margaret River plushness in citrus, quince, dusty apple and gentle lemon balm, thyme herbals turned up. The winemaker has chosen to highlight the bright, zesty fruit tingly side of the grape with elegance and style, rather than go into herbaceousness overdrive. I definitely prefer this side to the grape.
Jeni Port is one of Australia’s top wine communicators. Based in Melbourne, Jeni created the first wine column in the (then) Sun News-Pictorial before moving over to The Age and becoming that paper’s longest-serving wine writer. Over the years she has written for most Australian wine magazines and these days calls WinePilot home. She is also a Tasting Panel member on the Halliday Wine Companion. She was named Wine Communicator of the Year and Legend of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in 2014 and in 2018 Legend of the Vine. She is a founding board member of Australian Women In Wine and is the co-deputy chair of Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards and China’s Wine List of the Year Awards.
