This is my first look at a wine from Hidden Sea. The name comes, I suspect, from the Limestone Coast region being part of the ocean floor many millions of years ago. This is a tidy, crowd-pleasing Sauvignon Blanc.
I did note that for every bottle sold, there is a commitment to remove ten bottles from the ocean, which can be tracked here. Well played.
It's easy to be sceptical of commercially made Sauvignon Blanc, particularly when piercing acidity and an overload of green characters are often part of the deal. This, however, takes a slightly different path. There's still plenty of varietal personality on show, think shelled peas, green capsicum, lemon basil and pineapple sage emerging from the glass, delivering the familiar aromatic cues you'd expect. Yet the palate shifts gears, revealing a softness and flexibility that makes it immediately appealing. Passionfruit and green melon feature prominently, filling out the middle of the palate and bringing a generous, crowd-friendly feel. A wash of lemony acidity arrives late, cleansing the palate and preventing the fruit from becoming too comfortable. It strikes a smart balance between freshness and drinkability - tick. All up, it's a solid Sauvignon Blanc with broad appeal, and one that delivers exactly what it sets out to achieve.90/100
Region: Limestone Coast
