Old Road Wine Co. - The Smous - Sauvignon Blanc - 2022

$17.99

A smous is a travelling trader, the guy who rolled up with a truck full of whatever you needed. Old Road named this Sauvignon Blanc for him. Fruit comes off weathered granite in Stellenbosch and Philadelphia, some picked at lower sugar for freshness and some later for fruit weight. Cold fermented, then four months on gross lees with weekly stirring and minimal sulphur. That lees work is why it drinks rounder than most Sauvignon at this price.

Juicy green melon and fresh pineapple on the nose. Soft white pear, stone fruit and banana on the palate, a flinty edge running through, and a rounded, full-bodied aftertaste.

Sushi, grilled asparagus, and goat's cheese with fresh figs. It has enough weight for a richer plate than most Sauvignon can carry.

Old Road Wine Co. works out of Paarl with Ryan Puttick making the wines. The Smous fruit grows on weathered granite in Stellenbosch and Philadelphia, farmed tightly with leaf removal and selective picking. Bottled as Wine of Origin Western Cape at 12.5 percent.