This wine offers the opportunity for people to experience a Sauvignon Blanc that is drastically different in style to that of many other wines made from this variety in an Australian context. The wine is fermented in barrel at warmer temperatures, compared to the more common approach of employing stainless steel at much cooler temperatures. This leads to wines with more secondary, savoury complexity as opposed to overtly aromatic wines emphasising primary fruit .
2017 will go down as one of the top three Yarra Valley vintages since the renaissance period began in this valley in the mid-'60s.
The 2017 Fumé Blanc opens with distinctive citrus aromas. With time in the glass the aroma profile unravels to reveal peach, nectarine and guava, all tightly packed together and adding complexity to the more pronounced lemon and lime characteristics on the nose. There's an array of flavours on the palate ranging from lime, grapefruit, melon and the faintest hint of oak. The palate is taut, fine and flinty thanks to the razor-sharp acid line, giving the wine ample precision and focus. Phenolics are present, adding texture, along with some lees-derived complexity achieved through barrel fermentation. - Sam Middleton, Mount Mary