Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc, Lismore Estate Vineyards 2022

How it tastes Passion flower, fynbos and granadilla on the nose, then guava, gooseberry and pear with an underlying minerality and an atypical, almost sauvage streak of spice and toffee. Full-bodied, creamy and elegantly balanced — nothing like the sharp green style. Sauvignon Blanc 100%. The producer Californian Samantha O'Keefe built Lismore from nothing in the foothills at Greyton, one of South Africa's coldest wine sites, and pioneered the Greyton ward; Tim Atkin MW classed the estate a First Growth and named it Winery of the Year in his 2026 South Africa report. A fire in late 2019 destroyed part of her vineyards and all her finished wine, so this 2022 was assembled from selected Stellenbosch vineyards with 15% from the upper Hemel-en-Aarde valley, chosen for their resemblance to the fruit she lost. It was made in an oxidative style: fermented in older 300-litre barrels, given extended lees contact with occasional bâtonnage, and aged nine months, with a carefully chosen pick date to bring the usual New World acidity into balance. A cool, wet 2022 spring and a gradual ripening season gave striking aromatics. Food and drinking Good with roast chicken, smoked trout, asparagus and goat's cheese. Drinking well now and will develop for five years. Serve at 10–12°C. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.