2023 Sandalford Estate Reserve Sauvignon Blanc Semillon
The aromatics follow onto the palate. The flavours are fresh and bright with balanced, soft acidity in support. There is a lovely palate weight and a freshness to this wine that keeps you wanting to come back for more. Serve chilled, and enjoy whilst young and fresh.
Winemaker comments
Winemaker Notes
This wine is made as a Sauvignon Blanc dominant blend style. The Semillon acts in support providing some weight, acid line, and consistency to the style. All fruit was machine harvested and transported to the winery to be destemmed before pressing. The juice is allowed to cold settle before racking to tank and only the free-run juice fractions are utilised for fermentation. Low solids and cool ferment temperatures in stainless steel utilising a selected aromatic yeast strain ensures the fruit characters are preserved to their utmost in the resultant wine. The wine is left on ferment lees for a month before being blended and cleaned up for bottle. A wine best drunk while youthful.
Meet the maker
By the time I turned 18, I had become fascinated with wine. I was keen to learn as much about wine as I could and I received some great advice: to work in the industry before committing to any tertiary study....
Continue Reading > I was lucky enough to get my start at the cellars at Houghton Wines, here in the Swan Valley. I loved it, and it was the beginning of a career which was to eventually see me spend 20 years with Houghton’s. But first, I wanted to discover what traditional winemaking was like in the northern hemisphere. I took myself off to Burgundy, France, where I worked several vintages learning as much as I could about the craft of winemaking from some the best in the business. Returning to Australia I continued my career, picking up a few awards in the process of learning more and more about winemaking and achieving Bachelor of Applied Science and Oenology at Charles Sturt University, NSW. I was awarded the inaugural Gourmet Traveler Young Winemaker of the Year 2001, James Halliday’s Winemaker of the year in 2009, Winemaker of the Year in Ray Jordan's 2017 Annual West Australian Wine Guide, and I’ve judged extensively at capital city and regional wine shows. Australia makes some amazing world class wines! I’ve been fortunate to be Senior Winemaker at Sandalford Wines since March 2021 and I’m delighted every day by our estates’ old vines, the passion of the viticulture team here, and the outcomes we are able to achieve each vintage.
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Continue Reading > I was lucky enough to get my start at the cellars at Houghton Wines, here in the Swan Valley. I loved it, and it was the beginning of a career which was to eventually see me spend 20 years with Houghton’s. But first, I wanted to discover what traditional winemaking was like in the northern hemisphere. I took myself off to Burgundy, France, where I worked several vintages learning as much as I could about the craft of winemaking from some the best in the business. Returning to Australia I continued my career, picking up a few awards in the process of learning more and more about winemaking and achieving Bachelor of Applied Science and Oenology at Charles Sturt University, NSW. I was awarded the inaugural Gourmet Traveler Young Winemaker of the Year 2001, James Halliday’s Winemaker of the year in 2009, Winemaker of the Year in Ray Jordan's 2017 Annual West Australian Wine Guide, and I’ve judged extensively at capital city and regional wine shows. Australia makes some amazing world class wines! I’ve been fortunate to be Senior Winemaker at Sandalford Wines since March 2021 and I’m delighted every day by our estates’ old vines, the passion of the viticulture team here, and the outcomes we are able to achieve each vintage.
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Tasting notes
Varietals
Varietal
Sauvignon Blanc Semillon
Colour
Other Notes
Pale straw.
Nose
Production
Bright tropical fruit and citrus aromatics jump out of the glass. There’s guava, blackcurrant buds and lychee flavours sitting alongside subtle grassy notes.
Palate
Tasting Note
The aromatics follow onto the palate. The flavours are fresh and bright with balanced, soft acidity in support. There is a lovely palate weight and a freshness to this wine that keeps you wanting to come back for more. Serve chilled, and enjoy whilst young and fresh.
Vintage Conditions
Vineyard Notes
The spring rainfall preceding the 2023 vintage was the second highest on record in Western Australia. Additionally, the maximum temperatures for spring were very much below average for most of the south west of the state. The persistent rainfall and cool conditions during the spring season promoted lush, healthy canopies with moderate crop levels. The Summer arrived with some timely warm weather in December and January to get things going in the vineyard. It is fair to say that the 2023 seasonal conditions have delivered one of the highest quality vintages seen for well over a decade.
