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.
