No water colour, this wine is the kind of oil painting that will put an instant smile on your dial. Spiralling upward are candied notes of apple blossom, lychee, quince conserve and oven hot brioche. The delightful perfume keeps building with white knight nectarines, lemon sorbet, fresh cut Douglas fir then hints of white pepper and a touch of saffron. We are not looking for complexity here but the lasting impression is of talcum powder, a little surfboard wax and finally, brimstone.

The palate extends like an olive branch. Like droplets of honeydew on the flower of the Hoya bella it has a sweet approach which wriggles its way south to reveal a full and weighty palate with its gentle tickle of acidity that curls around the tongue like waves lapping a remote lake shore. It is both winsome and handsome, with successive layers of Peach Cobbler, pomegranate seed and artichoke heart cascading freely across the taste buds. Like a cat among the pigeons it surprises and tantalises with hints of lavender and citrus imparting a clandestine leather and lace quality.

When does Sauvignon Blanc not look like Sauvignon Blanc? In a year when the methoxipyrazines have ripened clean out of the grapes, that’s when! Love ‘em or hate ‘em, this is the group of chemical compounds responsible for the grassy, capsicum, gooseberry, sweaty armpit and cats pee that are variations on the essential Sauv Blanc theme. As physiological ripeness is reached in the grapes, they move through the flavour spectrum and finally disappear, leaving behind lush, ripe tropical flavours. Voila, 2019 was such a year!

Food Pairing: Enjoy with a feta & caramelised onion tart or whipped goats cheese drizzled with honey, served with toasted pumpernickel.