Zonte’s Footstep Excalibur Sauvignon Blanc 2024 from the Adelaide Hills is a bright, finely cut savvy that trades overt pungency for tension and detail, leaping from the glass with white grapefruit zest, lemon curd, citrus blossom, guava and tart gooseberry over a cool mineral edge. It feels energetic and pure rather than aggressively tropical, with that “rapier‑like cut” the winery is chasing.

The palate is light to medium bodied, silky and dry, packed with lemon, grapefruit, kiwi and lime, underripe star fruit, basil and a subtle bell‑pepper twist, all driven by crisp, mineral like acidity. There is lovely length and a carefree, refreshing finish that makes this a brilliant aperitif or food wine, especially around 13 percent alcohol.

Excalibur Sauvignon Blanc 2024 is tailor made for fresh crustaceans as the winery suggests, and will sing with oysters, prawns, salt and pepper squid, sushi, goat’s cheese salads or lightly spiced Asian dishes where its citrus, herb and gooseberry notes slice cleanly through brine, spice and fat. With a swag of medals including Best Sauvignon Blanc and a platinum at Critics Challenge plus double gold in China, it seriously overdelivers for the price.