Sauvignon Blanc Wine

Southern Right · Sauvignon Blanc · Walker Bay · 2025

Southern Right is the Walker Bay estate of Hamilton Russell Vineyards — one of South Africa's most respected wine families — and their Sauvignon Blanc is a deliberate statement of intent: this is Sauvignon Blanc as fine wine, not Sauvignon Blanc as a varietal exercise. Sourced from 35 different parcels across varied soil types in Walker Bay, the wine is built on the tension between Old World minerality and New World texture. Iron and clay-rich soils add structural complexity and body; sandstone soils contribute bright, tensile character and a marked saline minerality. A small 7–8% portion of the blend is barrel-fermented in neutral oak for four months, adding just enough texture without obscuring the variety's natural precision. Certified Sustainable (Integrated Production of Wine, Biodiversity & Wine Initiative). At $19.99, this is South African Sauvignon Blanc at its most serious and most rewarding.

The 2025 opens with a lively bouquet of passion fruit, guava, gooseberry, Conference pear, and a subtle lift of white pepper and dried ginger. On the palate: crisp, lean, and beautifully balanced — bright acidity, fine weight, and a saline mineral thread that runs through to a clean, peppery finish. Drink now through 2027.

“Sauvignon Blanc as fine wine… tight 'Old World' minerality and length with hints of 'New World' texture and body.”
— WA: 89 · Vinous: 89 (Vintage 2025). 

• Producer: Southern Right (Hamilton Russell Vineyards)
• Vintage: 2025
• Appellation: Walker Bay, South Africa
• Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc (7–8% barrel-fermented in neutral oak)
• Soils: Iron & clay-rich · Sandstone · 35 parcels
• Certification: Certified Sustainable (IPW & Biodiversity & Wine Initiative)
• Size: 750ml
• Tasting Notes: Passion fruit, guava, gooseberry, Conference pear, white pepper, dried ginger, saline mineral finish
• Cellar Potential: Drink now through 2027
• Food Pairings: Grilled fish, oysters, sushi, goat cheese, summer salads, light seafood pasta

WA:89 · Vinous:89 — Walker Bay minerality, 35 parcels, certified sustainable — Sauvignon Blanc as it was meant to be made. (Vintage 2025). 

92 James Suckling — Aromas of key lime pie, lemon confit and passion fruit on the nose. The palate is light- to medium-bodied with fresh acidity and a creamy mouthfeel, giving notes of lychees, red apples and flint. Nicely constructed and textural. (Vintage 2023). 

90 Vinous — Far from your stereotypical Marlborough style. This wine plays on its clarity, texture and freshness. Aromatically subtle, with green notes meeting nectarine and blackcurrant. While the region's natural freshness abounds, the wine retains a round shape and natural curve before being sewn up by a thread of acidity. Layers of interest that will keep you coming back. (Vintage 2023). 

A truly thoughtful and classy expression of Sauvignon Blanc. The nose exudes vibrancy, showing lifted notes of white passionfruit and lemon balm, supported by a savoury, leafy edge contributed by the inclusion of Sémillon. The palate is layered and textural, balanced by a slate-like mineral acidity. Fermented with native yeasts and aged on lees in oak barrels — a sophisticated, terroir-driven Sauvignon Blanc that transcends the category.

• Certified organic and biodynamically grown
• Suitable for vegetarians and vegans
• No dairy products or eggs used during production