Sauvignon Blanc is, I have to admit, not one of my go-to grapes. I find many versions just too strident to either match with food or drink or to drink by themselves.

I’m happy, though, to make exceptions to the rule when I come across something a little bit special, and Domaine de la Rochette’s Fleur de Printemps is definitely a cut above the average. Its aromas are vividly, typically Sauvignon Blanc in character – loads of pungent nettle and tomato leaf – but the palate has a richness and weight to it that provides the wine with a bit of gravitas and elegance. It’s a wine of great energy and drive, with a refreshing twist of lemon sherbet on the finish.

In terms of value for money, this is a wine that punches well above weight – I’d rather get a couple of bottles of this than many a Sancerre at twice the price. I’d be particularly keen to do so as we’ve hit spring. This is just the kind of wine to serve with all those leafy green veg just starting to come into season:  broad beans, peas, asparagus… Then, of course, there’s your classic goat’s cheese salad – this sparky wine will complement it nicely. Or sweat off some of those mild wild garlic leaves, chopping them fairly finely, mixing it with that goat’s cheese and spreading the resulting paste on sourdough toast and accompany with a nicely chilled glass of Fleur de Printemps. Mmmmm… Hungry now…

Rating: (What does this mean? See here for a guide to my rating system.)