Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc 2024

The 2024 Sauvignon Blanc leads with a distinct nose of freshly picked curry leaf, crushed sea shells, lemon zest, asphalt, mustard seed, dried coriander/coriander seed and white flesh orchard fruit. This is powerfully fruited, has great energy and drive and, unsurprisingly, offers great pleasure and satisfying drinking. This is a very smart, savory wine here. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

This is excellent, as always, showing flint, sliced lemons and fresh green melon. Some Thai basil too. Medium body, crisp acidity and lots of fruit at the end but with focus and tension. From organically grown grapes. Drink now. Screw cap.

Dog Point's whites are known for their distinctive flinty, reductive characters that sometimes go too far. But lately, this producer has reined it in, striking the perfect balance so that the white peach and guava fruit shine, too. There's chalky, pithy textural components and a tautness that suggests a happy few years of aging. If drinking now, a little aeration in glass won't hurt.

The 2024 Sauvignon Blanc is far from the wham-bam mass-produced Marlborough style. This is relatively restrained and textural, with far lower yields, hand-harvesting and whole bunch-pressing before most of the wine went through an indigenous fermentation. On first opening, there's a struck match character that needs some air to blow off to reveal lemon and lime, tangy green character of nettles. It's balanced and seamless, exuding a sense of calm in the mouth with an attractive, lightly grippy texture on the refreshing finish. This fades a little more quickly than I'd like.