As the new vintage wines are being made, last year's sauvignons tend to be drinking at their peak. Here are some I tasted recently. It's certainly not true that all sauvignon needs to be quaffed within 12 months.
BEST VALUE
$22
Four stars (out of five)
Good value
Lightly pungent and mouth-filling with lovely ripe fruit suggesting herbs, vegetables and mineral, this is complex and nicely balanced, crisp but not aggressive.
$20
Three and a half stars
Good value
Fresh and crisp with hints of herbs, passionfruit and capsicum, a suggestion of mineral and a nice intensity, balance and length.
$24
Four stars
Good value
With hints of melon and peaches, a mineral undertone and suggestions of nuts, this is well structured, textural and dryish with a long finish. Nicely rounded and crisp but not aggressive. A good food wine.
$25
Three and a half stars
Average value
Fragrant with hints of herbs and flowers, sweet ripe fruit suggesting melon and passionfruit, and a lively assertive finish.
$27
Three and a half stars
Average value
Fragrant with vibrant hints of capsicum, mineral and passionfruit, crisp and tightly structured with a fresh, focused finish.
$35
Four and a half stars
Average value
Pungent and funky, this is barrel-fermented with indigenous yeast and will not appeal to everybody, but its suggestions of charcoal smoke, herbs and green fruits are beautifully integrated and the wine is mouth-filling, complex, persistent and long.
