Savage White 2025

Savage White is made by Duncan Savage of Savage Wines, a Cape Town-based producer known for seeking out distinctive, often maritime and high-altitude vineyards across the Western Cape. Rather than relying on a single estate vineyard, Duncan brings together fruit from carefully chosen sites in areas including Stellenbosch, the Overberg and Villiersdorp. The combination of cooler locations, varied soils and proximity to the Atlantic helps give the wine its characteristic freshness, salinity and tension. The blend centres on Sauvignon Blanc with Sémillon adding breadth and texture. Savage takes a relatively low-intervention approach in the cellar, using whole-bunch pressing, spontaneous fermentation and large 500-litre barrels alongside concrete eggs. The wine spends extended time on its lees before bottling, allowing texture and complexity to develop without masking the freshness of the fruit. The 2024 release, for example, was made from 71% Sauvignon Blanc and 29% Sémillon and matured for 12 months in 500-litre barrels, 20% of which were new, followed by further time in stainless steel. Colour: Pale straw with a bright, youthful appearance. Nose: A complex mix of grapefruit, pear, white peach and pineapple, with distinctive blackcurrant leaf and subtle herbal notes. Behind the fruit are hints of flint, sea spray and gentle wood spice, giving the wine a savoury, mineral edge. Palate: Textured and layered, with ripe citrus and stone-fruit flavours balanced by lively acidity. Sauvignon Blanc brings freshness and aromatic lift, while Sémillon adds weight and a rounded, creamy quality. A subtle saline character runs through the palate, giving the wine focus and keeping the finish fresh rather than heavy. Finish: Long and savoury, with grapefruit, citrus peel, subtle herbs and a lingering mineral-saline note.