Description
“The sheer quality of the wines he makes is equalled only by his consistency” James Halliday.
When I met winemaker Bruce Dukes from Domaine Naturaliste I was bowled over by how striking every wine was that I tasted in his lineup … A rare occurrence when you’re tasting wines every day.
The success did not happen by accident. He has an intimate knowledge of all the terroirs of Margaret River after spending 25 years honing his craft with leading Margaret River producers such as Pierro wines. He is a trained agronomist and has a Masters in viticulture and Oenology from U.C. Davis … he also worked for 4 years at Neibaum Coppola in Napa, USA. Bruce seeks freshness of fruit, perfume, texture, overall balance, restraint with low to moderate alcohol in all his beautiful wines. Domaine Naturaliste is named after the northern most Cape of Margaret River, Cape Naturaliste, where the winery is situated. Minuscule production of top shelf wines across the board.
2023 is here… 2 parts Sauvignon Blanc to 1 part Semillon, is a knockout with purity, texture and mouthwatering succulence.
About this vintage from the winemaker: “A sensational growing season. A moderate spring and start to summer allowed for slow and consistent flavour development, followed by a warm and dry finish leading into Autumn. The wines are bold and flavoursome, boasting exceptional concentration and intensity.
Fruit is harvested based on flavours and natural acidity. 15% of the blend is fermented in new French Oak barriques, with the remaining 85% fermented in seasoned French oak Puncheons. After fermentation the blend is aged on lees in oak with fortnightly battonage for 2 months.
Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon are captured to highlight their attractiveness in its youth. Complex layered and blended white. Sauvignon offering lifted fragrances of gooseberry and lychee, with Semillon offering fig, white grapefruit and a mineral component. The portion of barrel fermentation introduces exotic spice and textural harmonization.”
92 points, Cassandra Charlick, WinePilot “Six-part 25-year-old vine Sauvignon, and four-part 38-year-old Semillon. All the cuvée is barrel fermented, 3 months on lees in seasoned French oak before an early winter bottling. Getting the dollar value with SBS can be hard, and plenty of sub-par bargain basement examples exist. This is not one of those. This is about making it count – even if it’s a mid-week beachside drop, you can only have so many standard drinks. Perfumed, fragrant and textured with guava, snow pea, white florals and a touch of savoury, very delicate cheesecloth. This is really balanced, and the two kids play well together in the vinous playground. It’s got length and an attractive, catchy texture from solids. Really lovely and not a snippet of herbal edge. A soft and approachable acid line reels into inviting and easy summer drinking. Boat wine at a bargain price.”
RRP $28 **Our Special Price $22.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine**
