Terre à Terre Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (Wrattonbully, Vic)
13%, Screwcap, $26
Source: Sample
www.terreaterre.com.au

Terre à Terre Sauvignon Blanc

The third release of this oak aged Sauvignon Blanc and it’s built in a similar (clever) vein to last year. Again it has seen 6 months in large/old oak with regular lees stirring along the way.

Whilst it has been made in a similar fashion to the 2009 it looks a little riper and fuller this year, trading the creamed herbs for a much more fruit rich, lemony, grapefruit expression. It’s still an attractive nose though, with chalky, pine-lime Splice fruit in a nose-filling form. The palate is even better than the nose, with a fine mix of vanilla pod (background) oak, firm citrussy acidity and more grapefruit, all built lightly textural and layered. It’s perhaps slightly raw at this stage, the acidity very prominent, but everything is in the right place for the future.

I’m not sure if it tops the 2009 (which I underscored in retrospect), although it’s hard to call it without them in front of me, yet no questioning the attraction here. It’s a lovely, precise antithesis for most Australian Sauvignon Blanc. Good stuff indeed (and fine value too). 18/93