Adelaide Hills 13.5% Screwcap $25 Source: Sample
Savagnin (pronounced sah-vah-NYAN, if that helps…) – what a saga. I recently spoke to the viticulturist half of a husband & wife wine producing team at Tasmania Unbottled. He had made a more than handy Arneis, and I asked him why they had chosen that grape. “It was a toss up between Albariño and Arneis. She chose Arneis, so I guess she got it right”. And in marketing terms, as well as in terms of the quality of the wine I was tasting, I had to agree.
I still like Campbell Mattinson‘s suggestion of “the grape-formerly-known-as albarino” which I believe was inspired by David Brookes‘ idea of “coming up with something like Prince did….don’t call it anything and just put a cryptic sqiggley thing on the label….”. Brookes is an ideas man and one of a long list of people involved in the Australian wine industry that I really want to meet.
But hang on, I was sent this wine to review wasn’t I? And it’s a very, very good wine. Packed full of fruit flavour with peaches, cumquat , green apples and lemon. It seems a touch viscous at first but quickly morphs into taut, crisp definition in a quite magical manner. The ultra dry finish is, I think, a key to just how successful the wine is. It ends with a little chalky texture and a pleasant dry, sour tartness. Excellent reach too, leaving ginger spice to linger.
Call it whatever you want, but this wine was no mistake. It’s a real find.
Winery Website- http://www.goldingwines.com.au/
Interesting JP. I saw an article in today's Advertiser that had the pronunciation of savagnin, where the last 'n' was silent. I think it was something like 'Sav-An-Yah'. Personally, I've always gone with the version you state here JP.
Tony Love I believe, he was in the Brisbane Courier Mail the day before (he's everywhere these days as traditional media cut costs & rationalise at the expense of diversity in wine & food writing).
Suspect he got his pronunciation from a press realease, as did I. It's not really clearing things up much is it CP?
There will need to be a new name for the variety I suspect…