Sauvignon Blanc Snakes & Ladders, Thorne & Daughters 2024

The 2024 Sauvignon Blanc Snakes & Ladders comes from three vineyards that suffered poor flowering in this vintage. Matured in used 225-litre barrels, this offers yellow plum, candle wax and light lanolin scents on the well-defined nose. The palate is vibrant and fresh, with crisp acidity and notes of tangerine, nectarine and pear and a dab of spice that enlivens the finish. Calls out for seafood! Drink 2025-2034.

A wine for people who find many Cape Sauvignon Blancs predictable and boring, this uses grapes from the Visser and Van Lill families, who own two of the best farms on the West Coast. Naturally fermented in old oak, with minimal sulphur additions, it has texture and focus, sea breeze and seaweed aromas and a palate of salted olives, lime and pink grapefruit.

This is a savory and compact white, offering aromas of beeswax, chamomile, pear skins, dried herbs and grapefruit. It’s creamy, textured and full-bodied, with a salty, savory character. Excellent density and length. Not your typical sauvignon blanc! Drink now or hold.