Alpha Estate Alpha Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2022 750ml

A bright, light- to medium-bodied white, with hints of flint and chive blossoms accenting ripe green pear and melon fruit. Well-knit, with a minerally finish. Drink now through 2026. 19,700 cases made, 2,500 cases imported. (Alison Napjus)

The 2022 Sauvignon Blanc is unoaked and dry and comes in at 13.1% alcohol. Like the other 2022s in this report, this has a crisp and wonderfully fresh feel. It is tightly wound and not quite as vegetal as some but always leaning to freshness. There is plenty of zing and zest on the finish and it makes this work. For all that freshness and elegance, it has reasonably good concentration and feels substantial in its youth (in bottle only about 60 days when tasted). This is a beauty in its style and on its own terms. It’s another success. It will drink great this summer, perhaps improve throughout the year and then hold on for several more. I do like to drink them on the younger side for safety, but I won’t be surprised if this one does a little better than anticipated. Not that there is any real point to holding it a long time.