2017 Dormilona 'Skinnie' Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Margaret River < Australia

Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc

Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Purchased grapes from biodynamic farming; winery certified organic; fruit is crushed straight into a combo of amphora and open top bins, then left to hang out on skins for a full six weeks before bottling unfined/unfiltered with no additions of any kind; 12.5% ABV

Winemaker: Josephine Perry

Jo Perry spent years as a wine consultant in Spain before returning home to Oz to start Dormilona (her nickname, which means “lazy bones” in Spanish slang) with her family, making edgy wines in the very traditional Margaret River region. And the Aussie’s are taking notice – she was named Australia’s “Young Guns of Wine” Winemaker of the Year in 2016.  We’ve fallen for her wines as well, like this fascinating take on Sauv Blanc.  Here Jo plays around with amphora and extended skin maceration to push the (often boring) grape into the realm of the weird and wonderful. But she manages to round out the tannins beautifully, avoiding the bitterness and tannin you often get from the lengthy skin contact.  It looks and smells like a fuzzy peach cocktail, but once in your mouth the herbaceous-ness of the Sauv Blanc starts to emerge, a bouquet of cilantro and dill that soon gives way to Kimchi and grapefruit and fuzzy peach skin.  Somehow this odd combination works – the result is intriguing and refreshing, textural and slightly addictive, pleasantly funky in a spicy Korean-food kind of way.  Totally our jam.