Domaine Turner Pageot La Rupture 2017 Vin de France

Quite a deep gold colour, with orange glints. The Sauvignon Blanc is made in the "orange" style, courtesy of a full 8 weeks on its skins, during and after fermentation - hence the colour. There is so much happening on the nose, with complex aromas including (though by no means limited to) honey, ginger, baked apple, mandarin orange, cinnamon, fenugreek, polished old wood and damp earth. There might also be a hint of pea pod in there, but that's as close as you'll get to any of the more typical Sauvignon Blanc elements. There's a hint of the sea, too (oyster shell, perhaps) which may be the Picpoul element making its mark. Whatever, it is one of the most fascinating and complex white wines I have had the pleasure of sniffing in a long while(!) And all of those wonderful aromas come through on the palate in spades. Given the colour and the extraction from the extended skin contact, one might expect a rather big wine - and in some ways it is. But the overall mouth-feel is really quite fresh and refreshing, with a modicum of grape tannin, a hint of saline minerality and all of those baked tree fruit, spice and honey flavours offset by bags of soft citrus acidity. The finish is *very* long and tangy, with an almost cool, minty, herby feel. All-in-all, a truly complex and delicious wine, worthy of much contemplation. Of course, whilst eminently drinkable on its own, it really is built for food - Emmanuel Pageot suggests lobster, turbot with a butter sauce, smoked fish, warm oysters or asparagus. For meat fiends, I might also suggest a lemony or herby roast chicken, or roast pork with apple sauce. A brilliant and compelling wine!