Vasse Felix Filius Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2023

75% Sauvignon Blanc, 29% Semillon, with fifteen percent seeing three months in old oak. Filius is Vasse Felix’s varietal-specific range in the portfolio that sits at a price point ideal for mid-week drinks or a post-work wind-down, though the wines regularly offer much more than just this. There’s plenty of interest on the nose here, with rounded savoury hues of nectarine pith, fresh-cut snow pea, preserved lemon, mid-season hay, nutmeg spice, white pepper and dried lime leaf. A crunchy salinity drifts along the current of fruit, and there’s a nice cushion of secondary oak at its base. Phenolics grip and tug, holding a great point of tension with the vibrant varietal acidity. This punches well above its price point with fruit weight, a voluminous mouth feel and good persistence and detail. It’s a cracker of a wine for just over the $25 mark. Drink now to 2029.