The Vinous New Zealand report has just been published and we were cock-a-hoop to see that Blank Canvas, a long-time favourite Kiwi producer of ours, came top of the white wines for its Abstract Sauvignon Blanc 2021, which received a chart-topping 96 points. The winemaker Matt Thompson says of it, “If classic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is all fruit and zing, Abstract exists in another dimension altogether. It’s our ‘Savoury Blanc’, where texture and aromatic complexity bedazzle.” It’s a wine that should not be missed if you like serious white Bordeaux or exploring the parameters of original and inspiring Sauvignon Blanc. 13.5% alc. Drink now-2032.

Press reviews:

Vinous: “White Bordeaux fans, get your coat; you've scored. The 2021 Sauvignon Blanc Abstract is a gorgeous, rich, full-bodied mouthful of intensely concentrated barrel-fermented Sauvignon. This is curvy, suave and sophisticated. Its ripe blackcurrant and fennel aromas meet lees-derived savory notes and nutty oak characters (aged in puncheons, 15% new). The 2021 has substance as well as fine acidity that provided mouthwatering refreshment. Its long finish is laced with layers of fragrance and texture. This has the complexity to age well, but it’s delicious now, so why would you wait? Drink now-2032.” 96 points

JancisRobinson.com: “Flinty and Sauvignon fruit aromas are interwoven. Definite but not excessive note of struck match. Intense notes of ripe green fruits and blackcurrant bud. The interplay of smoky reduction and bright fruit continues on the palate, mouth-filling and mouth-watering at the same time. Intense flavours balanced by the creamy texture (roundness) from the oak, and the merest hint of oak spice. The flinty character is marked but not too much on the long finish. Ageing slowly and beautifully, which is not always the case with Sauvignon Blanc, and has a way to go. Complex and harmonious with a long smoky finish. Drink now-2031.” 17.5 points

Stephen Wong MW: “Stunning aromatics of blackcurrant pastille, wild blackberry bush, white pepper and angelica leap from the glass as wet river stone, oyster-shell and nutmeg enter their wake. The palate is just coming around now, displaying its full weight of enveloping sesame paste flavours around fresh, crisp greengage plum, capsicum and vine tomato. Layered, intricate and incredibly long, this youthful wine brings together wild-ferment funk, tangy, saline acidity, vibrant fruit and subtle oak with herbaceousness and minerality in a ballet of contrasts. Enjoy over the next few years as it reveals more of its mysteries." 95 points

James Suckling: “This is so salty with a fresh-sea aspect to the lemon-rind and green-melon undertones. Medium body. Lovely texture and a long, persistent finish. A sophisticated single-vineyard sauvignon.” 95 points

Cameron Douglas MS: “Fantastic, a developing bouquet of barrel-ferment and fruit intensity, spice and power, a wine in a perfect window for drinking, scents of baked apple and lees, peach and soft wood spice highlights, a nettle and black currant quality then a dried herb extract. A satin touch gives way quickly to firm texture from acidity and tannins, lees and a soft wood smoke quality. Complex and lengthy a delicious wine to drink on its own or with select cuisine. Best from day of purchase through 2029+.” 95 points

Bob Campbell MW: “Intense, aromatic sauvignon with pronounced passion fruit/tropical fruit flavours together with grapefruit, red capsicum, oyster shell and gooseberry supported by vibrant juicy acidity that helps drive a lengthy finish.” 95 points

Michael Cooper: “Designed as an ageworthy 'Savoury Blanc', the classy 2021 vintage (5*) was hand-harvested in the Holdaway Vineyard, at Dillons Point, and fermented and matured on its yeast lees for 15 months in French oak puncheons (15 per cent new).  Bright lemon/green, with a rich, savoury bouquet, it is mouth filling, with concentrated, ripe, tropical fruit flavours, gentle mealy notes, finely integrated oak, and excellent vigour and complexity. A top example of barrel-fermented Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, it's a drink now or cellaring proposition." 5 Stars

Customer comment:

“This is an excellent wine James. I think I need 6 more.” - Mr R.H.

“The ‘La Combe Verte’ punches well above its price.” - Vinous

The Walter Scott ‘La Combe Verte’ Chardonnay 2022 is a stunning wine by any measure - well, not any measure, I mean a tape-measure would be useless, as would a speedometer, but can we move along please, I have a lot to say and I don’t have time for any more of your petty interruptions. All of the wines that it pays homage to with its flinty, matchstick aromas and its insanely complex palate (Coche-Dury, Le Moine, Colin-Morey, Leflaive, Arnaud Ente), are no longer affordable to mere mortals like us, so this is exactly the sort of discovery that you demand of us and rightly so! There may come a time when the name, Walter Scott, will appear between those brackets too, but for now it is an estate that has only just set foot on the travellator and begun gliding serenely past its peers. The Wine Advocate’s reviews for the new Walter Scott releases have just been published and all 15 wines sit within a bracket of 93 to 99 points, a notable rise on previous years, so it’s not just our view that this is a domaine going places fast.

The ‘La Combe Verte’ 2022 is a truly world-class Chardonnay, which you can confidently take to a dinner party in the safe knowledge that it will be the wine of the night, no matter what your friends bring along. And if it isn’t, then may we politely suggest that you don’t change your wine merchant, you change your friends!

I know that £39.50 is a bit of reach for a lot of people at the moment, but if you are going to splash out on the word of a wine merchant, I want to make sure you get what you pay for and I think this could sit in the company of any fine white Burgundy or new world Chardonnay at twice the price.

Organically farmed/ biodynamically farmed

Press review:

The Wine Advocate: “Fruit for the 2022 Chardonnay La Combe Verte comes from five premier vineyards in the Willamette Valley planted on both volcanic and marine sedimentary soils: Freedom Hill, Hyland, Koosah, Sojeau and Witness Tree. It was blended with 2% Aligoté and matured for eight months in 25% new French oak before finishing with two months in stainless steel. It offers integrated tones of matchstick and flint that complement a core of quince paste, peach preserves, meringue, beeswax and cashews. The light-bodied palate is seamless and shimmery, pairing concentrated, honeyed fruit with linear acidity that results in a weightless feel and an ethereal finish. Drink now-2035.“ 93 points

Decanter: “La Combe Verte Chardonnay offers a laser-focused minerality, smoky flint, grilled pineapple, and ocean breeze salinity. The palate is a melange of tangy citrus and concentrated fruits—flavours of grilled lemon peel, petrichor, zingy lime pith, and passionfruit. Drink now-2031.” 94 points

Vinous: “A burst of savoury reduction slowly blows off the 2022 Chardonnay La Combe Verte to reveal a deeply seductive blend of wildflowers and sage, giving way to nectarines and candied ginger. This is surprisingly weighty in feel, communicating a level of prominence balanced by a core of juicy acidity. Flinty minerality adds depth to its core of ripe pears and green melon. The 2022 leaves a pretty inner sweetness while cleaning up remarkably well with traces of candied lime that linger. The La Combe Verte punches well above its price. Drink now-2027.” 92 points

Customer comments:

“Very stylish and restrained!” - Mr A.W.