House Of Cards Three Card Monte Sauvignon Blanc 2025

Awards and Reviews

Trophy: Best Sauvignon Blanc 2025 Royal Queensland Wine Awards

93 Points Ray Jordan

Wow, this really zips across the palate. It has crunchy fresh acidity with vibrant, zingy passionfruit and a citrus tang, finishing with a fine, lingering line. This is a savvy, but not a big blousy one. It’s got flavour, intensity, and a linear structure. To me, this is how sauvignon blanc should be made in Margaret River. A cracking good wine.

Tasting Notes

• Appearance: Pale gold with bright clarity.
• Aromatics: Zingy passionfruit, green apple and citrus peel are joined by grapefruit, white flowers, crushed stone and a subtle flinty character.
• Palate: Vibrant lemon, grapefruit and tropical fruit move across a precise, finely structured palate.
• Texture: A touch of barrel fermentation brings additional weight and refinement without making the wine feel heavy.
• Acidity: Crunchy, energetic acidity keeps the fruit fresh and gives the wine its linear shape.
• Minerality: A steely, saline character provides contrast to the passionfruit and citrus flavours.
• Finish: Fine and persistent, with lingering citrus, fresh herbs, wet stone and refreshing acidity.

Wine Details

• Vintage: 2025
• Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
• Region: Margaret River, Western Australia
• Vineyard: House of Cards’ single estate vineyard
• Location: Yallingup, northern Margaret River
• Viticulture: Certified organic
• Winemaking: Traditional winemaking with a portion of barrel fermentation
• Style: Dry, vibrant and textural
• Body: Light to medium-bodied
• Alcohol: 12.5%
• Bottle size: 750mL
• Cellaring: Drink now or cellar for up to four years
• Serving temperature: Approximately 8 to 10°C

A More Sophisticated Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is often associated with highly aromatic wines dominated by passionfruit, cut grass and tropical fruit. Three Card Monte retains the freshness and recognisable passionfruit character of the variety but presents it in a more restrained and structured way. Citrus, green apple, minerality and a saline edge provide greater complexity, while barrel fermentation adds texture without removing the wine’s natural vibrancy.

This makes it an excellent choice for drinkers who enjoy the freshness of Sauvignon Blanc but want something with more depth, refinement and food-pairing versatility.

What Does Barrel Fermentation Add?

A portion of this Sauvignon Blanc undergoes fermentation in barrel rather than entirely in stainless steel. Barrel fermentation can give Sauvignon Blanc a rounder texture and introduce subtle savoury, smoky or nutty complexity. It also allows small amounts of oxygen to interact with the wine, helping its different flavours feel more integrated.

The objective is not to make the wine taste strongly of oak. In Three Card Monte, the barrel influence sits beneath the passionfruit, citrus and mineral characters, providing texture and structure rather than obvious vanilla or toast.

Certified Organic

The fruit comes from House of Cards’ certified organic vineyard on Caves Road in the northern Margaret River region. Organic vineyard management avoids synthetic herbicides, pesticides and fertilisers. Instead, the focus is placed on soil health, biodiversity and maintaining a naturally balanced vineyard environment. Because the fruit is grown on one estate vineyard, the winemaking team can closely manage every stage of production, from the health and ripeness of the grapes through to fermentation and bottling.

This single-vineyard approach also allows Three Card Monte to reflect the distinctive conditions of its Yallingup site rather than being assembled from fruit grown across several unrelated areas.

Serving and Cellaring

• Serve House of Cards Three Card Monte Sauvignon Blanc at approximately 8°C. Avoid serving it extremely cold, as very low temperatures can suppress its aroma and hide the texture created by barrel fermentation. If it has just been removed from a cold refrigerator, allow it to sit in the glass for several minutes before drinking.
• Decanting is not required. However, using a medium-sized white wine glass will give the passionfruit, citrus and flinty aromas room to develop.

Drinking superbly now, cellaring the wine for up to four years will continue to let the wine develop further complexity. It can be enjoyed immediately for its vibrant fruit and crunchy acidity or stored until approximately 2029 for a slightly rounder, more integrated expression.

Food Pairing

• Steamed snapper: Try it with soy, ginger, sesame and fresh coriander.
• Fresh oysters: The wine’s citrus acidity and saline character complement freshly shucked oysters.
• Grilled prawns: Particularly good with lemon, garlic and fresh herbs.
• White fish: Pair it with grilled barramundi, whiting or snapper served with a citrus dressing.
• Goat’s cheese: Sauvignon Blanc’s acidity works particularly well with fresh goat’s cheese and herb salads.
• Vietnamese-style salads: Lime, mint, coriander and lightly spiced dressings match the wine’s freshness and aromatic character.
• Green vegetables: Asparagus, peas, beans and leafy herbs complement its subtle green and savoury notes.
• Lightly spiced dishes: Its lively acidity can refresh the palate alongside mild Thai or Southeast Asian flavours.

About House of Cards

House of Cards was established in 2011 by Elizabeth and Travis Wray. The family-owned winery is based on Caves Road in Yallingup, at the northern end of the Margaret River wine region. All of its fruit comes from a small, certified organic estate vineyard, with the wines made onsite. The House of Cards name refers to the gamble faced by every grape grower and winemaker. Each vintage presents a different set of conditions, and the team must play the hand that nature deals them. This approach produces wines that reflect both the vineyard and the individual growing season, with organic farming and traditional winemaking at the centre of the estate’s philosophy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Three Card Monte Sauvignon Blanc dry?

Yes. This is a dry Sauvignon Blanc with vibrant fruit, crunchy acidity and a clean mineral finish. The passionfruit and tropical flavours may smell generous, but they do not indicate sweetness.

Is it similar to Fumé Blanc?

Fumé Blanc is a stylistic term commonly used for Sauvignon Blanc that has received barrel fermentation or maturation. Three Card Monte is labelled Sauvignon Blanc, but its barrel-derived texture, flinty character and savoury complexity give it some qualities associated with a Fumé Blanc style.

How is it different from New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc?

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is often highly aromatic, with pronounced passionfruit, gooseberry and grassy flavours. Three Card Monte still offers passionfruit and citrus, but its mineral character, saline finish and subtle barrel influence create a more restrained and textural expression. It is less overtly aromatic and designed to work particularly well with food.

What does “linear” mean when describing wine?

A linear wine has flavours and acidity that travel directly and evenly across the palate towards the finish. In this wine, the citrus fruit and crunchy acidity create a clear line through the palate rather than feeling broad, soft or excessively rich.

What does saline mean in a tasting note?

Saline describes a subtle salt-like or sea-spray sensation. The wine does not literally taste salty. The term refers to a savoury freshness that makes the finish feel particularly clean and can make the wine highly appealing with seafood.

What does flinty or mineral mean?

These terms describe aromas and flavours that can resemble wet stone, crushed rock or struck flint. They are not added ingredients. They are sensory descriptions used to explain the wine’s dry, savoury and stone-like characters.

Is Three Card Monte certified organic?

House of Cards sources its fruit from its certified organic single vineyard in northern Margaret River. Organic certification relates primarily to how the vineyard is managed, including avoiding synthetic herbicides, pesticides and fertilisers.

How long can I cellar it?

It is already drinking beautifully for its bright passionfruit, citrus and crunchy acidity, but careful storage until approximately 2029 should allow its texture and savoury characters to become more integrated.

What temperature should it be served at?

Serve it at approximately 8°C. Serving it too cold can conceal the wine’s aromas and texture, while serving it too warm may reduce the refreshing impression of its acidity.