For 25 years, the AAVWS has been a forum for wines that fall outside the mainstream. AAVWS

I spent the last week in tropical northern Victoria, specifically in Mildura, where I had the good fortune to be invited as international guest judge to the 25th Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show (AAVWS). Serendipitously, fellow contributor to The Real Review, Melissa Moore was also there to judge the show.

The AAVWS originated from the Sangiovese Awards initiated by Stefano de Pieri and Bruce Chalmers, along with the late Dr Rod Bonfiglioli, in 1999. The following year, it was called the Australian Italian Wine Show and in 2001, it was renamed the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show. The Chalmers family, who run the most diverse vine nursery in Australia, are still heavily involved in the show and the movement, with both of Bruce’s daughters, Kim and Tennille Chalmers part of the organising team. In the earlier years, it used to include New Zealand wine, but that stopped a while ago and there hasn’t been anything to take up the torch for New Zealand since.

For 25 years, the AAVWS has been a forum for wines that fall outside the mainstream. It also incorporates social and educational events such as the post-show conference called Talk and Taste. This year’s edition included talks about Cava by Kate Laurie of Deviation Road, a viticulture panel led by Liz Riley of Vitibit and a panel on NoLo (no and low alcohol wines) led by chair of judges Leanne Altmann while showing technical wines from Pia Merrick (Australian Vintage), Nigel Sneyd MW and Aaron Milne (Edenvale).

Over the years, the show has helped spread awareness and acceptance of varieties which are now very much a mainstay of Australian wine, like pinot gris/grigio and glera/prosecco. Fiano is the latest success story, as was evident by the broad range of styles and high entry-numbers of the variety this year, many of which showed regional distinctions. The same is on the horizon for sangiovese, nero d’avola and montepulciano, all of which have developed distinctive Australian styles.

The 789 entries this year spanned 69 regions and 98 grape varieties, making the judging classes the most diverse I have ever seen in a wine show. This poses unique challenges for judges, particularly when it comes to benchmarking and the elucidation of quality. Leanne Altmann had made it clear that the European classics, though useful as signposts and for inspiration, should not restrict what is explored in Australia. The aim is not to make facsimiles of European wine but to grow and craft Australian wines using these varieties. This was more evident in some varieties than others, such as fiano and nero d’avola, both of which had developed their own personalities and flavour profiles.

The Rod Bonfiglioli Wine of Show 2025 went to Hahndorf Hill Gru Grüner Veltliner 2024, which also took Best White Wine and Best of the Rest. Best Red Wine Award and Best Italian Red went to Orbis Wines Nero d’Avola 2024. The Viticulturist Award went to Jeff Flint of Wangolina. The exciting Provenance class was of very high quality, with the award going to Crittenden’s Cri de Coeur Savagnin Sous Voile (they entered their 2020, 2013 and 2011).

Leanne Altmann awarded the Chief of Judges Wine to Watch award to the delicious Bloomfield Mencia 2024, and I gave my International Judge’s Wine to Watch award to Chalmers Mother Block Skin Contact 2025, a field blend from their nursery mother block. This year also saw the introduction of a new award to recognise Helen Healy for her amazing contributions as show manager, having supported the event since its inception. Helen started this year’s show as Mayor of Mildura and finished the show in a different role as Deputy Mayor (as an aside, it’s the first time I’ve ever been received at a wine show at the airport by a mayor!). The inaugural Helen Healy Award for Excellence went to Oliver’s Taranga Vineyards.

But that’s not all… to celebrate their 21st anniversary, the show commissioned wine writer Max Allen to write a book about the show and the movement which has grown around it, called Alternative Reality. The book, published in 2023, was recently awarded Best New Wine Book at the Australian Wine Communicator Awards 2025. Awards all round and a fitting way to celebrate the show’s first quarter century.

Champagne can be charming but why not look for Australian sparkling wines this year. Pexels

In the immortal lyrics of the 1983 Class Action disco anthem Weekend (Larry Levan mix specifically), the chorus – “Tonight it’s party time, it’s party time tonight” – sets the tone for long, balmy nights of celebration.

As the sun dips and the summer heat soaks in, there’s a good chance you’ll be inviting people over, cranking the Sonos, and cracking open a few bottles of something fun to get the party started. And once the playlist is sorted (you can thank us later for the tune recommendation above), what to pop in the ice tub to keep everyone refreshed and show that you are actually the life and soul of the party? Here are a few local Aussie suggestions to keep the energy flowing once the sun goes down and the sequins come out.

Wines that sparkle throughout the night

Champagne can be charming but why not look for Australian sparkling wines this year for their complexity and incredible value? We’re seeing many interesting styles across the market, including sparkling wines either vinified in tank or made from varieties other than chardonnay and pinot; look to these for fresh citrus acidity balanced with creaminess from ageing on lees in tank, or spiced fruitcake opulence from sparkling shiraz. The ‘traditional method’ wines below have had many years ageing in their own bottles on lees to create complexity, texture and layers of flavour, and are some of the most impressive and special sparkling wines on the market today.

Fun styles

• Marri Wood Park Sparkling Chenin Blanc Vintage 2020
• Radenti Grand Vintage Sparkling 2016
• Langmeil Stelle Nere Sparkling Shiraz NV

Traditional method

• Yering Station Yarrabank Cuvée 2020
• Printhie Swift Rosé Brut NV
• Krinklewood Broke Fordwich Blanc de Blancs 2022
• House of Arras Grand Vintage 2017
• Marri Wood Park Sparkling Chenin Blanc Vintage 2020

Disco whites

For something a little different, it’s worth diving into the new wave of vibrant alternative white varieties turning heads this summer: fiano, vermentino, albariño and assyrtiko offer fresh, zesty flavours that bring energy and personality to the glass, while textural chenin blanc and this saline, oyster-shell take on pinot grigio adds depth and intrigue. Wrap your lips around falanghina if you dare, with its aromas of apple, peach and white florals, aided by green-almond notes and chalky acidity—you’ll never look back! Some of these wines are all citrus and lift, while others carry a savoury, saline edge that keeps you coming back for another sip. Bright and vibrant, they’re the perfect way to keep things interesting as the night warms up.

• Jim Barry Assyrtiko 2024
• Teusner Lucius Fiano 2025
• The Little Wine Company Vermentino 2025
• Oliver’s Taranga Vineyards Falanghina 2024
• MMAD Vineyard Blewitt Springs Chenin Blanc 2024
• Quealy Feri Maris Single Block Pinot Grigio 2025

Skinsy delights

Skin contact white wines are almost their own category in between white wine and rosé—a Goldilocks genre of whites that don’t taste like it, not quite rosé, but made like red wine but definitely aren’t red… they have their own mystique of deeper orange/amber colours (hence the moniker of orange or amber wines), often unfiltered and cloudy, super-aromatic with floral aromas and often featuring ginger plant and dried apricot notes, and almost always have refreshing grippy tannins completing a mouth-feel you’d usually associate with red wines. Intriguing and excellent with salty foods like cured cheeses and antipasti—coincidentally just like you’d serve at a fancy gatho!

• Renzaglia Central Ranges Pinot Gris 2024
• Vinea Marson #14 Friulano 2022
• Ravensworth Grüner Veltliner 2023
• Usher Tinkler Death By Semillon 2024

Rosé all day (and night)

Rosé was made for warm nights: fresh, easy to drink and full of personality. Provence has driven the recent pale-hued revolution, so you’ll find delicate rose-coloured local versions made with grenache and cinsault bringing bright strawberry-and-cream fruit and crisp acidity, while nebbiolo-based rosés add subtle cherry aromas with delicate tannin and a hint of spice. Deeper mataro or shiraz-based styles offer darker fruit, spice and a subtle mineral edge. These wines are lively and quaffable rather than fruity or sweet, and have enough texture and lift to make them a serious drink. Modern deeper-coloured rosés tend to be more textural and complex rather than sweet, and with savoury spice are excellent matches for richer, meatier foods. Serve all well chilled and enjoy as the night gets going.

• Turkey Flat Vineyards Rosé Grenache 2025
• Protero Rose111 Nebbiolo Rosé 2025
• Glandore Rosé 2024
• Hare’s Chase Mataro Rosé 2024
• Dominique Portet Single Vineyard Rosé 2024
• Eastern Peake Taché Pinot Noir 2023

Light and bright reds for the ice bucket

Reds for warm nights are all about balance: structured enough to be interesting, yet fresh and lively enough to enjoy chilled. In Australia, red wines are often served too warm, so pop your bottles in the fridge for 20 minutes or dunk them into an ice bath for five to bring out their freshness. For parties look for fruit-focused styles with little (or no) oak, as heavy cedary tannins can feel raspy when cool.

Grenache (AKA garnacha or cannonau) bursts with cherry and red-berry juiciness, pinot noir brings bright strawberry and subtle spice, and gamay presents as raspberry conserve with gentle floral aromas and often aromatic whole-bunch stem notes. Australia is also producing a whole smorgasbord of other Euro-influenced red wines, whether plummy, spiced montepulciano or juicy cross-style shiraz-pinot blends. Full of flavour but lightly chilled, these reds are a great choice for sunset celebrations and backyard dance floors—approachable for a crowd, but still engaging for wine lovers.

• Stargazer Kura 2023
• Wickhams Road Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2025
• Linear Gamay 2024
• S.C. Pannell Basso Garnacha 2023
• Mercer Wines Montepulciano 2023

Whatever the style, the key is fresh, vibrant and approachable wines that get people talking and glasses clinking. From crisp and fragrant whites to expressive rosés, sparkling bubbles that set the tone, adventurous skin-contact orange wines, and lively, fruit-forward reds, there’s plenty to explore this season. Don’t be afraid to try something new—whether it’s an unfamiliar grape or a bold stylistic twist, these wines bring energy, flavour and fun to any gathering. Choose wines that can be lightly chilled or popped straight into the ice tub when you arrive, so every pour hits its best note. With a mix like this on hand, all that’s left is to pop, pour and let the party take over. Cheers!

Piper-Heidsieck’s chef de cave Emilien Boutillat. Champagne Piper-Heidsieck

When Emilien Boutillat, Piper-Heidsieck’s dynamic chef de cave, came to town with the latest Hors Série creation, everyone was anticipating bubbles. Why wouldn’t you if the chef de cave was in town to show off the latest wine? But the main man had a surprise up his sleeve, as it were, and, as the name implies, he came up with something radical.

The debut 1971 Hors Série set the tone, followed by the 1982 vintage—a prestigious and nostalgic nod to the house’s heritage. For Boutillat, who joined Piper-Heidsieck in 2018 and was not yet born when those early editions were released, the desire to mark the collection with his own personal stamp was irresistible. The third Hors Série instalment involves thinking outside the box: not just a still, dry white wine but a still white made from black grapes, pinot noir to be precise.

Historically, Piper-Heidsieck once dabbled in still wines, producing a Vin Tranquille de Champagne made from pinot noir. Such wines were not unheard of; in the 1960s and 1970s, with Laurent-Perrier leading the charge with similar styles. Fast forward to 2024, and Piper-Heidsieck’s latest twist sees the return of this category under its official appellation: Coteaux Champenois.

Coteaux Champenois is an appellation introduced in 1973, officially recognising the region’s still wines. Traditionally, whites were chardonnay, reds pinot noir. At first glance, Boutillat’s interpretation seems counter-intuitive. Yet as he explained, it couldn’t be more logical. Blanc de Noir champagnes are central to Piper-Heidsieck’s identity, so creating a still version extends a house signature rather than contradicting it.

The idea germinated in 2019, as climate change began shifting ripeness levels in Champagne’s vineyards. Grapes once too tart for still wines were now achieving unprecedented balance. For Boutillat, the message was clear: adapt and innovate. Two small vineyard parcels—each only about one hectare—were chosen for this experiment. In Aÿ, the north-east facing Chauffour parcel, planted in 2004, provided a cooler, crisp profile. In Ambonnay, Champs Seaux, planted in 2010 on southwest slopes, promised depth and richness.

Pruning was adjusted to enhance concentration. Trial wines from 2021 didn’t meet expectations—so they were never released. Then came 2022: a ‘wonderful vintage,’ according to Boutillat. The grapes achieved perfect ripeness, balancing vibrancy with finesse.

Harvested by hand in small crates to maximise the terroir element, the pinot noir was pressed in a traditional Coquard press. Only the tête de cuvée—the first and finest fraction of juice—was used, representing roughly 25% of the total. Vinification was carried out in stainless steel with full malolactic fermentation, although the malic acid was low in 2022, and the wines, after resting on fine lees for a year, were bottled under screwcap and aged another year before release.

Piper-Heidsieck Hors-Série Coteaux Champenois Ambonnay Blanc de Noir. Anthony Rose

The result is wines which you would be hard to place blind for a variety of reasons. They challenge tasters to locate them geographically. Still white wines made from pinot noir are rare enough; from Champagne, they’re few and far between. Only 3,000 bottles of each cuvée exist, intended for discerning markets in the US, UK, France, Italy, Austria, Australia and Japan. Boutillat predicts graceful evolution over time, with hints of toastiness developing as they age.

This may not be an every-vintage occurrence, but Piper-Heidsieck’s long-term goal is clear—to establish Coteaux Champenois as a permanent pillar of the house portfolio. With changing climates and growing expertise, still wines from Champagne could soon move from curios to mainstream expressions.

To dismiss the new Hors Série as a publicity stunt would miss the larger point. Coteaux Champenois isn’t likely to threaten Champagne bubbles—or Burgundy’s dominance—any time soon. But as the climate inexorably changes, the region’s still wines are fast gaining both viability and allure and this bold venture captures a glimpse of an evolving identity for the Champagne region.

The anti-oxidant effect is especially relevant in white wines. Unsplash

Among the most common inquiries I receive from readers concerns preservatives in wine, in other words, sulphur dioxide (SO₂₎. Specifically, how to find wines that don’t have SO2 added to them.

They are not common, because SO2 is a sterilant and anti-oxidant: it preserves wine from oxidising and it kills or stuns unwanted microbes which could create unpleasant faults in wine.

The anti-oxidant effect is especially relevant in white wines. Just as an apple quickly turns brown when cut and exposed to the air, so white grape juice and white wine will brown and the freshness and fruity appeal of the aroma and flavour will be dulled.

Red wine is another matter: the tannins and colour pigments of red wine help protect it against the ravages of the oxygen in the atmosphere. So it’s easier to produce a good red wine without the help of SO2.

There are several readily available products that can be added to a glass of wine to nullify the SO2, and render it agreeable to those who suffer from sulphur sensitivity. SO2GO, and Purewine Drops are the two most visible. They’re inexpensive and are sold in many wine shops. You either squeeze some drops into your glass or spray the fluid onto it.

The active ingredient is hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which simply rearranges the molecules so that SO2 is deactivated. Sulphites are converted to sulphates, which are harmless.

The most common sensitivities to sulphites are sneezing, coughing, shortness of breath, headache, sinus problems and rashes. Purewine claim they have feedback from a ‘huge’ number of wine drinkers that their product reduces hangover symptoms. I’m not sure there is any scientific evidence for that, though.

Several wine companies make wine with no added sulphur dioxide. This is generally how they are described—because ‘sulphur-free’ can’t be guaranteed, as a small amount of sulphur dioxide can be produced by yeasts during normal fermentation.

Here are three quality red wines that have come my way recently.

Battle of Bosworth Puritan Shiraz 2024

McLaren Vale. I’ve tasted some aged vintages of this wine, and they put paid to the notion that wines made without sulphur won’t keep.

Mr Brightside GenX Preservative Free Shiraz 2025

From Ben Riggs of Mr Riggs Wines, McLaren Vale.

Sherrah Preservative Free Grenache Nouveau 2023

Winemaker Alex Sherrah also works in McLaren Vale.

Semillon has a wonderful track-record of ageing gracefully. Made in Pokolbin

Highly aromatic versus less aromatic.

Sauvignon blanc is a highly aromatic grape variety whose fragrance is a major part of its appeal. (Talking only of the young—and unwooded—wine in both cases for now.) Semillon is less fragrant, a bit like garganega in Soave, it is a sotto voce wine and by virtue of this, is very adaptable with food and with drinking situations: it doesn’t compete with the food on your plate, and it doesn’t demand attention.

We might even observe that semillon is a more serious wine because it depends more on the palate than the nose: drinkers who are captivated by the aromatics will easily fall for sauvignon blanc but those who value the structure and feel of the wine in the mouth may punt for semillon. A member of the semillon fan club might suggest that sauvignon blanc is like a person with heavy make-up, initially captivating but maybe disappointing on closer acquaintance, where semillon is less showy but ultimately more satisfying!

Sweetness is a factor

Marlborough sauvignon blanc is often quite sweet, which is part of its very wide appeal—which crosses all boundaries, national and otherwise. Semillon is usually made dry or near-dry. It’s an old cliché but one that holds true: residual sugar can hide imperfections such as lack of fruit/flavour intensity, but in a dry wine ‘there’s nowhere to hide’. At the risk of sounding like some kind of elitist, its dryness tends to cement its appeal with serious wine lovers, whereas sweetness enables wines to appeal to less discriminating drinkers.

The aroma bases are different

Sauvignon blanc, whether grown in the Upper Loire Valley (Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé and other appellations), Marlborough, the Adelaide Hills or South Africa’s Cape, has intense tropical fruit aromas when ripe, suggesting passionfruit, feijoa, guava, kiwifruit, but also citrus fruits (lemon, lime, Cape gooseberry, yuzu, fingerlime). Semillon on the other hand tends to be less pungent and more limited in its range of aromas: lemon is the dominant note, but also lime, lemongrass and green apple.

The herbaceous aromas (snow-pea, pea-shoot, cut grass, green capsicum) for which some sauvignon blanc (and semillon) is known are a symptom of underripe grapes. That’s not to say a subtle note of these can’t be attractive as part of a bouquet.

Semillon grown in the Hunter Valley can be physiologically ripe at very low Baumé (sugar ripeness) and in successful seasons and good vineyards it doesn’t display the greener aromas. Local winemakers frown upon those nuances. In Margaret River and other places semillon often smells and tastes green and underripe, sometimes even at quite high degrees of sugar ripeness. This suggests either the wrong clone, an unsuitable site, or over-cropping. The unique suitability of the Hunter for semillon is that the grapes can be flavour-ripe at low Baumé (and therefore low alcohol. 10 to 11.5% is the normal range).

Oak compatibility

The opinions that follow are mine, and not everyone will agree!

Neither semillon nor sauvignon blanc taste good when green and underripe, and that lack of appeal is exacerbated when the wine is fermented or aged in oak barrels. The taste (and scent) of oak is a very unhappy marriage with the smell (and taste) of vegetal/green fruit.

However, some of the greatest dry white wines in the world are produced from these grape varieties fermented and aged in oak. Think of the famous Graves and other dry whites of Bordeaux: Pavillon Blanc de Château Margaux, Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc, etc. And closer to home: Cullen Grace Madeline, Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Elsa Sauvignon Blanc, Mount Mary Triolet, Domaine A Lady A, and more. The difference here is the grapes were grown in a suitable place, the vines were mature and the fruit was fully ripe. Any white grape will produce a green-tasting wine if the fruit is harvested underripe. There is nothing clever or appealing about that.

There are more successful examples of wooded sauvignon blanc than semillon: indeed, it is hard to think of a single one. There are a few semillons where a (usually) small proportion of oak fermented wine can work well, but it has to be very subtle. Rockford, Alkina and Château Tanunda in the Barossa do this well.

Murray Tyrrell was a great hater of wooded Hunter semillon and he was probably right!

Ageing potential

Semillon has a wonderful track-record of ageing gracefully and transforming into something quite different but seriously compelling during many years of bottle-ageing. Sauvignon blanc on the other hand doesn’t usually reward cellaring, but there are notable exceptions. Those barrel fermented versions mentioned above, for a start. The famous dry whites of Bordeaux can be very long lived. Ripeness and flavour concentration are factors: thin, dilute wines never age well. Neither do excessively green, herbaceous wines.

Dry, unwooded, low-alcohol Hunter semillon is again an exception: it is one of the best dry whites in the world for ageing.

Most Marlborough sauvignon blanc is best young, but I have tasted a vertical of Cloudy Bay that showed they age surprisingly well. But whether they change in a way that justifies their cellaring is another question altogether.

Aerial view of Pierro Wines in Margaret River. Pierro Wines

A fellow named Aristotle once opined that “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. Now, this could well be the philosophy at the heart of the very reason for semillon and sauvignon blanc blends. Like Bogey and Bacall, Torvill and Dean and ‘The Woodies’ (Australian tennis doubles partners), some things just work better when they’re paired up.

Semillon and sauvignon blanc flying solo produce outstanding wines, think great aged Hunter semillon and the fabulously punchy and aromatic sauvignon blancs of Marlborough, but what’s the raison d’etre for bringing these two varieties together?

Semillon and sauvignon blanc have been cultivated in Bordeaux, France since before the 1500s and they are the key components in both dry and sweet white wines of the region. The most sought-after and collectible examples include Château Haut-Brion Blanc among the dry whites and Château d’Yquem on the sweet white front.

Typically, semillon brings richness, a lemony, waxy texture, and ageing potential, whilst sauvignon blanc brings acidity, citrus, and a level of herbaceousness to the table, the two together creating a balanced, textural and complex profile.

In Australia in the 1960s, agronomist Dr John Gladstones classified Margaret River as a ‘Bordeaux-like’ region, and encouraged the planting of semillon and sauvignon blanc.

Margaret River has been at the forefront of the style in Australia. Dr Mike Peterkin is credited with producing the first semillon–sauvignon blanc blend in Margaret River in 1979 while making wine for Kevin and Di Cullen. This wine was labelled and sold as a semillon sauvignon blanc and won a trophy at the Perth Royal Show for best full-bodied dry white. Fast forward over four decades and the current iteration of this style is the Cullen Grace Madeline Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2024, a wine that derives its mouth-feel and complexity from oak, with a lovely drive of creaminess and nuttiness.

Peterkin established his own winery Pierro in 1980, dedicating a third of the vineyard to semillon and sauvignon blanc. His Pierro LTC Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2023 is a nod to his early accomplishments with the varieties, but some years back he began adding a little touch of chardonnay (LTC) to bring a touch more weight and texture to the blend.

Evans & Tate likewise were another Margaret River pioneer of the style. In 1987, Evans & Tate released the first vintage of their Margaret River Classic, a semillon sauvignon blanc blend, which became a best-seller and helped popularise the style across Australia.

Margaret River stalwart Lenton Brae also began producing semillon sauvignon blanc in 1987 and has consistently produced a wine of great character that absolutely displays its sense of place. The Lenton Brae Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2024 beautifully combines the two varieties to produce a wine that has plenty of citrus drive, along with a lifted herbaceousness and perky, saline acidity.

In the mid 1980s across the country in the Yarra Valley, Dr John Middleton at Mount Mary was making a wine in a homage to the white wines of Graves in Bordeaux. Mount Mary Triolet was first produced in 1987, blending sauvignon blanc, semillon and muscadelle to produce a wine of power, complexity and real ageability. The latest version of Mount Mary Triolet 2022 is a wonderfully complex wine, elements of barrel ageing and time on lees doing wondrous things with the lemony, nettly fruit.

And just to show that there is some versatility with these varieties and that it’s not just about the glamour regions, De Bortoli produces a great value for money example from the Riverina. The De Bortoli Sacred Hill Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2024 is all light and crunchy, with a decent lick of acidity that keeps the ripe and sweet tropical fruits in check. And at only $9 a bottle you can’t go wrong.

Semillon and sauvignon blanc are two bedfellows (or should that be blendfellows?) that really do get the best out of each other. That Aristotle fellow may have been onto something.

The very best sauvignon blancs will hit their stride between five and eight years from vintage. Château Bauduc

Welcome to Sauvignon and Sémillon week! This week, we celebrate all things related to sauvignon blanc and sémillon.

One of the most often-asked questions I get is whether there is any point in cellaring New Zealand sauvignon blanc or if the wine is best drunk fresh and young. The answer, as you can imagine, is not straightforward and like many things, “… it depends”. So let’s discuss it in more detail and hopefully, by the end of this, you’ll be better informed to make delicious decisions with sauvignon blanc (and sémillon, where appropriate).

First of all, there is plenty of ‘prior art’ and evidence of sauvignon’s ageability: one need look no further than the spiritual home of the variety in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé to see examples which often taste better with a year or two in bottle and the best of which easily continue developing complexity for a decade or more. Likewise with white Bordeaux, especially in the Graves with the classified growths of Pessac-Léognan (for dry wine) or the ravishing Sauternes and Barsac sweet wines (let’s leave those aside for our purposes today).

Now, it should seem relatively logical to expect that the wines which are fermented or aged in oak would have ageability built in. The easy explanation for this is that winemakers tend to select more intensely flavoursome or structured parcels of fruit into a barrel-aged program as they stand to benefit from the extra ageing and complexity before bottling. But in some rare instances, the oak can overpower the fruit, especially in less concentrated years, so although this correlation between aged and age-ability generally holds, it is not a given.

Likewise, though most sauvignon blanc aged in stainless steel – especially for a short period before bottling –is designed for immediate drinking, there are examples of purely stainless-steel sauvignons which can develop. It all comes down to the structure, fruit intensity, concentration. depth and stability of flavour which ultimately determines whether a wine will remain balanced and interesting as the primary flavours slowly change, or whether they rapidly turn mature and/or fall over.

To better understand the change which comes with bottle age, it is actually helpful to examine what undesirable things can happen with aged sauvignon blanc. The first which comes to mind is the dreaded canned asparagus and boiled peas flavour which can occur during ageing when very grassy methoxypyrazines and volatile sulfur compounds cross a threshold of perception together. In most cases, when this happens, it is difficult to enjoy and the wine is deemed to have ‘gone over the hill’. Wines which can keep these flavours under control while emphasising other flavours tend to taste more balanced and maintain aromatic interest. Sometimes, some subtle, flinty or reductive notes can add minerality to the wine as its fruit becomes less intense.

Wines aged in oak will take on some of the same development characteristics of other white wines aged in oak, such as nutty, smoky and spicy notes as well as the palate structure which comes from the additional tannins from the oak. The unspoken thing is that generally, wines which are cropped at high yields do not lend themselves to the sort of balance and concentration which suits ageing, so conversely, low-yielding vines (such as those which are dry-grown or from lower-yielding regions) will withstand the ageing process better.

And when we talk about age-ability what kind of timeframes are we talking about? Most of the very fruity and aromatic sauvignons will move out of that stage within the course of a year and for those wines, the flush of youthful exuberance is their ultimate expression. These would fall into the ‘drink now’ camp. The more restrained and concentrated examples of sauvignon blanc will hit their peak of complexity between two and four years of age while fruit is still a feature, as long as they can stave off the ‘asparagus’ stage.

The very best (often long lees-aged and/or partly/fully in oak) will hit their stride between five and eight years from vintage, after which it will come down to sheer concentration and the combination of structural elements (phenolics, tannins, acidity) to determine how long they keep at that apogée before fading. It is rare, but I have had 100% sauvignon blanc wines which are still elegantly balanced with some freshness and great complexity at 20 to 25 years old so it is definitely possible for the variety.

Note that I have consciously avoided saying that these wines need or should be cellared, as it can come down to personal preference. Some drinkers will absolutely prefer the freshness, vibrancy and fruit-forward appeal of a young sauvignon blanc; others may prefer the most savoury, textural complexity which comes when the intense primary flavours recede and give way to lees-enriched creaminess, subtle nutty notes or emergent minerality. Of course, one could like both and enjoy the wine across a broad range of maturity.

For those of you wanting to try what aged New Zealand sauvignon blanc tastes like, take a look at our recent reviews – some wineries release their wines with bottle age built in so you can ‘short cut’ the process and decide if you like the taste before committing to ageing sauvignon blanc yourself. Thankfully, most sauvignon blanc in New Zealand, even those which can develop in bottle, are still relatively affordable!

Yangarra Estate’s chief winemaker and manager Peter Fraser. Yangarra Estate

The Australian wine industry is struggling to come to terms with the tragic sudden death of Peter Fraser, chief winemaker and manager of Yangarra Estate in McLaren Vale.

He died in a fire at his home in Clarendon on Thursday, November 27. He was just 51.

Pete was in good form when I last saw him on November 13: little did we know what would transpire two weeks later. He was in Sydney presenting a back-tasting of all 15 vintages of his flagship wine, Yangarra High Sands Grenache.

He’d been hosting the same tasting for the media in other cities as well. In hindsight, it seems like it was his final tour of duty. He was as self-effacing as ever.

“Anyone could make wine at Yangarra, it’s such great terroir,” he’d say.

And when the 2023 High Sands—from a very difficult, wet season—was discussed, he said “It’s one of the wines I’m most proud of.” That’s because it was a year the wine probably didn’t make itself, and skill and experience were needed to deal with the cold, wet conditions when fungal disease flourished in many vineyards.

“From our experience, a cold vintage in a warm region can produce some of the best wines,” he added.

Yangarra’s ‘23s are outstanding, across shiraz, grenache and blends.

“Wines produced from this vintage will be some of the prettiest and most delicate from the estate,” he said.

Under Fraser’s direction, Yangarra transitioned to biodynamic viticulture. It’s been organic since 2007 and certified biodynamic since 2012. He was also an early adopter of ceramic egg fermenters which he used, often in conjunction with older, larger oak vessels, to mature red wines without risking excessive oak pick-up. This was particularly important with grenache, which is easily marked by oak.

Experiments with ‘eggs’ culminated in the release of the Ovitelli, a grenache produced only in ceramic eggs and given extended time on skins post-ferment. This is an AUD $80 wine. Yangarra’s High Sands is the highest priced grenache in Australia at AUD $300. When the wine jumped from AUD $200 to $250 a few years ago I asked Pete why the big jump. His reply was typically candid: it was along the lines of:

“We line up the best Châteauneuf-du-Papes regularly, and taste them. Half of them are spoilt (chiefly by Brettanomyces), and of the other half, we reckon our wine is as good as the best.”

Hard to argue with that.

However, the regular Yangarra wines are very affordable and also of exceptional quality, such as the Yangarra Old Vine Grenache (AUD $50) and GSM (AUD $35).

Peter was chief winemaker and manager at Yangarra, where he’d worked for 25 years, and he was almost a fixture in the Clarendon district as his previous job was at Normans’ Clarendon winery.

During his tenure Yangarra’s owners, the US-based Jackson Family Wines, took over the established Hickinbotham Vineyard at Clarendon in 2012 and together with Jackson’s California-based specialist cabernet winemaker, Chris Carpenter, and Yangarra’s viticulturist Michael Lane, Pete developed the spectacular Hickinbotham Clarendon range of red wines.

The Pete Fraser I knew was a softly spoken and self-effacing guy, a quietly passionate wine man who went about his work with intensity, focus and devotion, seriously quality conscious but not afraid to push the boundaries of winemaking. He loved wine: his final Instagram post was a bottle of Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne 2005 with the words “Might be the best wine I’ve ever drunk.” What a pity it was probably also the last.

His loss is a tragedy, but his contribution to Australian wine will be remembered for a very long time.

Margaret River has great success with its blends of sauvignon blanc and semillon. Margaret River Wine Association

Australia has a great appetite for sauvignon blanc. Sauvignon blanc accounts for one in every eight bottles of wine purchased in the Australian off-trade (retail) market, according to Wine Australia. Most of it comes across ‘The Ditch’ from New Zealand.

It surprises many people that despite our thirst for the Kiwi product, Australian sauvignon blanc is also quite a big item: it’s the second-most widely grown white grape after chardonnay.

Australia has 6,097 hectares of sauvignon blanc (2025 Wine Australia figures). There are 21,442 ha of chardonnay. Third on the list is semillon with 4,569 ha* and fourth is pinot gris/grigio, with 3,731 ha.

The sauvignon blanc number pales in comparison to New Zealand’s 29,000 ha, though.

Sauvignon blanc is 4.5% of the total area of grapevines planted in Australia, or 12.6% of the white vines. The planted area more than doubled in the decade between 2001 and 2010.

In 2025, 115,110 tonnes were processed for wine, which was 15.8% of the white grape crush. When compared with the area planted, this tells us that yields per hectare are higher for sauvignon blanc than the average.

Where is it grown? Pretty well every region grows some sauvignon blanc, but the biggest are the inland irrigation areas—the Riverland, Murray-Darling and Riverina, with 77% of the vines. Margaret River has just 5%. That leaves just 18% for all the other regions.

Margaret River and Adelaide Hills are the two most prominent regions for high-quality sauvignon blanc varietal table wines. Other notable high-quality sources are Orange, Tasmania, King Valley and Yarra Valley. Sauvignon blanc (or simply sauvignon as it’s known in France, the biggest producing country) is a cool-climate variety, although like all grape varieties it can be grown in a range of climates, but only produces wine of distinctive character reliably when grown in cooler places.

How do Aussie savvies taste compared to the Kiwis?

I would say New Zealand, especially Marlborough, has cornered the market for highly aromatic fruit-driven sauvignon blanc, often slightly sweet. It’s the intensity of fruit and immediate drinkability that have made it a big hit on the world stage.

Australia has produced few wines that match the Marlborough style. Even Tasmania, which is on exactly the same latitude as Marlborough, seldom if ever makes wine that tastes like Marlborough. Put that down to terroir.

Our wines are generally less lifted in their fruit, less fragrant, less pungent if you like, but can still be very varietal, especially in the colder climes. They also tend to be a little drier, more savoury.

Of course I’m generalising: there are many wines in Marlborough that don’t conform to the stereotype, and there are plenty of examples of complex, barrel-fermented, more ‘worked’ sauvignons in both countries. These wines aim for complexity and texture; to do more with the grape than capture simple fruitiness.

Semillon is a footnote to the discussion, as so little is grown to be marketed as a varietal wine compared to sauvignon. As a stand-alone, it’s a relatively minor grape in Australia and is even less visible in New Zealand.

Semillon is very selective as to places where it produces great wine. Australia’s Hunter Valley is head and shoulders above the rest. It has the unique combination of soil, climate, and other influences (not to mention the history of human experience with semillon) that gets the best out of the semillon grape. The Barossa and Clare Valleys make some excellent wines of a fuller style.

Western Australia, especially Margaret River, has great success with its blends of sauvignon blanc and semillon, but is less successful with stand-alone semillon.

More than half Australia’s semillon is grown in the Riverina, where it is used as an inexpensive bulk blending variety, but also in the region’s one and only luxury product: sweet botrytis-affected semillon, spearheaded by De Bortoli’s Noble One.

There is an argument that sales of Australian dry white varietal semillon fell off a cliff when the New Zealand ‘savalanche’ got going. Once-famous Barossa semillons such as Peter Lehmann and Basedow, which used to sell hundreds of thousands of cases a year, are now non-existent. The theory goes that Barossa semillon drinkers dropped these wines and switched to Marlborough savvy. This may not seem like a logical case of substitution, but could just be true.

*There are more planted hectares of semillon than pinot gris but more PG was crushed than semillon in 2025.

Marlborough still crushed 410,291 tonnes of fruit in 2025. Marlborough Wine (te Pa Wines)

As summer approaches, the new vintage of fresh, crisp sauvignon blanc sets sail from wineries to glasses all over the world. For a time, Marlborough actually held a literal yacht race from Waikawa Marina (in the Marlborough Sounds) across Te Moana-o-Raukawa/Cook Strait to land in Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington Harbour.

The ‘new vintage’ of sauvignon blanc is perfectly timed for warmer weather, typically seeing a cool fermentation in stainless steel tanks with a short élevage before going into bottle (some producers incorporate small amounts of wild-fermented or barrel-fermented wine in their classic bottlings).

These young-release wines start entering the market as early as August though most target a September or October release ahead of the busy summer season. It is usually the first chance we get to see how a vintage tastes as this tank-fermented sauvignon blanc is among the earliest released wine from any vintage (increasingly, rosé is competing for that same space, and there are also limited-releases of ‘nouveau’-style reds from more New Wave producers).

When it comes to sauvignon blanc in New Zealand, it is impossible not to default to Marlborough. After all, 90% of the sauvignon blanc in the country is planted in this region and sauvignon represents nearly 90% of New Zealand’s total export volume (for the year to July 2025). Some readers may already be aware of a few statistics about the 2025 vintage but for those who are not, I will outline the key points below.

First of all, let’s address the elephant in the room: the potential volume of 2025 in Marlborough (especially for sauvignon blanc) was huge. This is a result of a combination of climatic and economic factors. The region’s plantings increased by 24% to 29,000 ha from 2020 to 2025 (with more growth yet to be realised as further plantings come onstream). Add to that, almost perfect flowering conditions which resulted in a record-setting potential crop, steady growing conditions without weather complications, and the yield estimates were climbing as the season progressed.

With wineries holding high inventory levels of sauvignon blanc going into harvest and looming oversupply with the volatile global trade conditions, caps were set to reduce how much wineries would take from their growers. For some winegrowers, this was managed earlier through green harvesting and yield management, but for others, fruit had to be left on the vine unpicked to reduce the harvested tonnage.

Even with conservative estimates of between 15 and 20% of fruit being left unpicked (some industry commentators suggest the number was higher), Marlborough still crushed 410,291 tonnes of fruit in 2025: only 1% less than the region’s record-highest crush in 2022 of 414,649 tonnes. Now this is where it gets complicated.

The vintage was able to produce beautiful fruit, but that quality potential was not realised if yields were too high. There is no clear pattern to discern which vineyards carried very high yields and which controlled their yields early enough to benefit from the growing season. Ultimately, it boils down to actual taste and, as they say, the proof is in the pudding. The 2025 sauvignon blancs from Marlborough are very variable and there is a wider disparity of quality between producers than in 2024 for instance—a vintage which one producer in Marlborough summed up amusingly by saying “You had to really **** things up in 2024 to make a bad sauv”.

So, based purely on the early-release Marlborough sauvignon blancs which have been assessed, how does 2025 taste? As a broad generalisation, it tastes archetypal and textbook, for better or for worse. The wines are aromatic and up-front with that classic combination of herbaceous and gooseberry. By contrast 2024 tastes more concentrated on the whole with richer mid-palate density and floral nuances rather than herbaceousness (which may not suit some sauvignon drinkers). 2025 has more classic flavours.

Many of the wines I saw also changed significantly in the glass, losing that aromatic intensity over time, suggesting that those who prize those aromas will prefer them on the younger side (i.e within the next eight to 10 months). Some wines exhibit a bit more discernible sweetness on the finish, too, either because they have a bit less stuffing or because winemakers are using some sugar to give palate weight and emphasise the fruit flavours. Conversely, the lighter and more austere styles often exhibited a distinct salinity which is likely a function of acidity, phenolics and volatile sulfur compounds (part of the varietal expression) being more evident when fruit concentration is lighter.

This is not to suggest that there aren’t good wines in 2025. The better of these early-released examples highlight the ripeness of the season through juicy, perfumed fruit, some even tipping over to tropical notes and passionfruit (which admittedly can be a yeast thing) alongside crisp, green notes which are not overtly vegetal.

There is a whole cadre of producers who have taken advantage of 2025’s less dominant vintage character (compared to 2024, at least) to allow their sites to express themselves with very careful and sensitive use of winemaking influences. There are a number of innately complex, mineral and well-balanced wines which capture the imagination and taste distinctly different than their peers without overtly displaying winemaking artifice.

The best of the 2025s tasted so far also have finesse and perfume rather than raw power and concentration, which can suit those looking for more aromatic and immediate wines.

Lastly, as is clear from the recent ‘grand’ sauvignon tasting in Marlborough of about 100 new releases, the wines which are aged for more time in the winery, be it in tank, oak (usually neutral) or other vessel, are well worth waiting for. Releases of these styles from 2024 and 2023 were show-stopping in quality—although granted, these are ‘reserve’ level wines which warrant longer élevage. We can expect some of the best 2025s to be released according to the same schedule, although they will show more overt winemaking than the fresh, crisp, young-release wines.

In summary, 2025 is a vintage where careful choice matters as quality is variable across the region. There are plenty of easy-drinking immediate-enjoyment wines but serious producers have also crafted a number of wines with site expression and transparency, taking advantage of a less-overpowering vintage character in 2025. The best wines may yet to be released.