Bruce Dukes’ Domaine Naturaliste new release wines show distinctive Margaret River character and bang-for-buck value yet again!
Domaine Naturaliste Discovery Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2023
91 points | $25.00
Aromas of passionfruit, lemon rind and ginger plant leaf abound in this lovely and easy-to-drink Margaret River sauvignon blend. There’s a rich texture to the wine, from barrel fermentation and three months on lees, and a salty edge, with a lift of acidity and citrus flavours lingering along with chalky mineral notes.
Domaine Naturaliste Sauvage Sauvignon Blanc 2022
92 points | $37.00
Always an alternative to the usual Margaret River sauvignon proposition, the 2022 Domaine Naturaliste Sauvage Sauvignon Blanc is a wild and textural wine, from 24-year-old vines grown on their own roots. With 9% semillon added this year, this shows smoky bacon French oak and flinty reduction aromas framing savoury tropical notes of guava and pawpaw. It offers a mineral lift and textural slinky mouthfeel from ten months on lees, but still retains a definite zing on the finish.
Domaine Naturaliste Discovery Chardonnay 2022
91 points | $27.00
This is a juicy and fun chardonnay, nestled somewhere between the richness of the chardies of old and the savouriness and zing of the new: aromas of buttered toast, almond kernel, apricot and nectarine stone fruits mingle with gardenia blooms and that famous Margaret River salt-spray. Fermented in seasoned French barriques, the savoury 2022 Domaine Naturaliste Discovery Chardonnay delights with a silky palate weight and freshness of acidity that holds steady to the end.
Domaine Naturaliste Discovery Syrah 2022
92 points | $27.00
Fragrant aromas of blue and black fruits – blueberry, blackberry, black plums – fuse with violet florals and some deeper liquorice notes in this cooler, maritime climate Syrah version of Shiraz. A vanilla bean note from oak adds richness, the wine is supple and ripe, with 14% alcohol hidden well within a medium-bodied and quite elegant frame. The tannins are plush and ripe too and, with a juicy fruit-filled finish, this excellent value wine is poised for ideal drinking throughout summer – perhaps slightly chilled – and into the cooler months. Released 1st December 2023.
Domaine Naturaliste Discovery Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
90 points | $27.00
With a splash of malbec (4%) and a tinier one of merlot (1%) the 2021 Domaine Naturaliste Discovery Cabernet has an abundance of fresh fruit aromas; blackcurrants, blueberries and cranberries, with a crunch of leaf and vanilla oak. This wine has a lovely palate weight – again, textural and elegant – with balance between fruit power and acidity, ending in a chalky tannin grip. Great value drinking from Bruce Dukes. Released 1st February 2024.
Domaine Naturaliste Rebus Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
94 points | $37.00
From 23-year-old cabernet and merlot (8%) vines grown at Wilyabrup, the ripe but elegant 2021 Domaine Naturaliste Rebus offers pronounced cassis and redcurrant aromas over layers of dried leaf and chocolate with vanilla creaminess from oak maturation; twelve months in thirty-five per cent new French oak barriques from the Tronçais, Jupilles and Alliers forests known for their perfume and moderate tannins. Velvety and smooth, the wine finishes with a dusty but firm tannin grip and tangy acidity.
