Star Guitar Sauvignon Blanc, Gutter & Stars 2025 75cl

Star Guitar takes its name from a Chemical Brothers track, which tells you something about the spirit of Gutter & Stars — Chris Wilson's tiny urban winery in a Cambridge windmill, where English fruit is turned into small-batch wine with a bit of swagger. This one is Sauvignon Blanc from Essex-grown grapes, still a rare thing to see done well in England.

Sauvignon in a cool English summer is a different animal to the tropical Marlborough style. Here it stays lean, green and high-strung, all about tension and cut rather than ripe passionfruit. It's Sauvignon with the volume turned down and the focus turned up.

The nose is sharp and green: gooseberry, freshly cut grass, lime and a flinty, nettly edge. The palate is bone-dry and bracing, with searing citrus acidity and a stony, almost saline snap through the finish. This is a wine for people who like their whites taut and refreshing rather than soft.

Serve it as a wake-up aperitif or alongside something from the sea. At £27 it's a genuinely interesting look at English Sauvignon, and one to drink young while it's crisp and electric.

How to Serve

Serve cold, 7-9°C, in a white-wine glass. No decanting — you want it crisp and immediate.

Where to Drink It

Bentley's at the oyster bar. J Sheekey with a plate of shellfish. Noble Rot for a thoughtful by-the-glass moment.

Food Pairings

Made for oysters and other shellfish, or a fresh goat's cheese salad. It also cuts beautifully through anything fried.