Sigurd White Blend 2021

Dan Graham takes the Sigurd name from his Norwegian great-grandfather, who shared a similarly mischievous outlook. Sigurd Wines was born in 2012 following a career that took Dan to Central Otago, Alentejo, Bordeaux, Hermitage, Barolo and around New South Wales and Barossa, including a stint at Jacob’s Creek. As Dan puts it, when all is said and done, he just make wines that he wants to drink.

The Sigurd White Blend is an eclectic mix of grape varieties; Semillon, vermentino, Muscat, Viognier and Chardonnay all feature. Some are co-fermented, some not, some given skin contact, others not, some fermented in oak, some in stainless steel. You get the idea... The one process all grape varieties shared in common was undergoing malolactic fermentation, but more for the purpose of giving greater stability to the wine and reducing the need for sulphur additions. It is bottled unfiltered.

This is a really unique white wine. Hyper aromatic, slightly creamy, slightly leesy, a touch mineral, and unquestionably fresh. The palate is bursting with flavours of lemon sorbet, a fruit salad medley consisting primarily of white peach and grapes, a touch of blossom, and a pinch of white pepper. Great fun now, but also capable of developing further interesting characters after a few years of bottle age.