Nice font on these Cornelius wines.

Scotchmans Hill Cornelius Sauvignon 2008 (Bellarine Peninsula, Vic)
14%, Screwcap, $40
Source: Sample
www.scotchmanshill.com.au

Note the use of ‘Sauvignon’ here and not ‘Sauvignon Blanc’. Much like what De Bortoli are doing in the Yarra, Scotchmans Hill are deliberately producing a more White Bordeaux-esque style with oak and lees work that is rather different to the more mainstream Australian/Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc style.

In the case of this Cornelius Sauvignon that means a wine that spent 6 months in new/up to 4yr old oak (with regular lees stirring along the way). It also means fruit picked riper, with minimal herbaceousness and bigger, more overt flavours.

Whether all that winemaking ‘works’ is up for contention however there is not doubting that it has layers, the nose an intriguing one of  pineapple fruit richness meeting vanilla bean oak. There’s quite a big of oak in there actually but it is very sexy oak. There is some gravel and ‘socks’ Sancerre-esque varietal Sauv character in
there too which is good to see. Big and chunky palate has some tinned pineapple
character ala the nose, but it doesn’t dominate to much, everything finishing with an abrupt, acid-driven full stop.

An unusual wine perhaps but has some appeal, the heartiness of the flavours impressive if just a little OTT. It’s not really my sort of drink but I can appreciate the form and intensity.

Drink: Now – 2013
Score: 17/90