Description
“The sheer quality of the wines he makes is equalled only by his consistency” James Halliday.
Winner of Best Value Winery 2020 in James Halliday’s Australian Wine Companion.
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.
About the 2024 vintage from the winemaker: “Lower than average soil moisture and higher than average temperatures through late spring and early summer allowed for smaller berries with better spacing on the bunch. This set the stage for a concentrated and intensely flavoured crop.
“Fermentation and maturation in 500L French oak puncheons allows a gentle ingress of oak elements, while preserving freshness. Sauvage remains on its yeast sediment “sur lie” during maturation, This process of yeast cell breakdown adds depth and richness to the palate. 1/3 new 500L French oak puncheons for 10 months. The wood is primarily from the Vosges and Allier forests. Attractive in youth | up to 5 years maturation
“Sauvignon Blanc is well adapted to our gravelly soils and maritime climate. The fruit is grown in Wallcliffe, the cooler southern end of Margaret River, which is renowned for its fragrant white wines. Bold aromas of red currant, passion fruit and orange blossom laced with exotic notes of lychee and clove. A creamy mouth filling palate delights the senses with an unexpected richness and depth of flavour.
94points, Ray Jordan “This is a wine that is so well balanced and crafted that it drinks beautifully now, but with that quality fruit and that well-weighted oak, it will handle extended cellaring to become something quite different. Intense, vibrant, with a fine precise acidity driving through to a long finish.”
94 points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front “Dubbed the ‘wild’ Sauvignon Blanc, but in my perception, it’s a pretty ‘tamed’ version of the grape. Well-balanced oak seasoning comes as cashew cream and a note of vanilla slice. The elegant line of perfume is built around herbs like oregano and thyme, mint, lemon blossom, blackcurrant leaf and a touch of pineapple skin aroma. The finish is long, aromatic and pithy like pink grapefruit, with crushed oyster shells and a gently rising, warming sensation of pickled ginger. Complex wine and pretty well put together.”
RRP $42 Our Special Price $34.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine
