Sauvignon Blanc is celebrated for vibrant acidity and a distinctive aromatic profile. The remarkable diversity of styles is influenced by both the grape’s inherent characteristics and the climates of the regions and terroir in which it’s grown. It can be dry or spectacularly sweet, budget friendly or exceptionally premium. Despite it being a ‘go-to’ option for many, most people who feel strongly for or against Sauvignon Blanc, aren’t fully aware of the range of styles it can produce.
We’ve put together a brief ‘Sum Up of Sauv’ so that you can feel more confident when selecting your Sauvignon Blanc. More importantly, for those who may hate the varietal, maybe this can convince you to give it another try…
Cool Climate Sauvignon Blanc
Generally, cool climate Sauvignon Blanc has high acidity along with pronounced ‘green’ fruit characteristics (think green apple, green melon) and an array of citrus notes like lime and grapefruit. This is usually complimented by aromas that are more herbaceous. Some consumers love wines with high acidity and therefore delight in cool climate Sauvignon Blanc, others tend to find them too austere for their liking.
Marlborough, based in New Zealand, is renowned for its zesty and intensely aromatic Sauvignon Blanc with high acidity, pronounced citrus notes (grapefruit, lime), and herbaceous aromas like cut grass and green bell pepper. Iconic examples of a ‘typical’ style include those from Cloudy Bay. While some people absolutely love the herbaceous nature of these Sauvignon Blancs, some are rather averse to what can almost be described as ‘vegetal’ character. Generally, many feel that these are relatively similar in nature to a Constantia Sauvignon Blanc.
The Loire Valley in France produce Sauvignon Blanc that commonly reflect a more restrained and mineral-driven profile. Flavours lean towards gooseberry, and a distinct flinty character. Wines labelled ‘Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé’ are great examples of Sauvignon Blanc that express these flinty characteristics. Producers like Pascal Jolivet, amongst others, and showcase particularly elegant Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc. We find these ‘lean’ gooseberry and lime characteristics, rather than the greener or vegetal notes, to be like many examples of Elgin Sauvignon Blanc.
Warm Climate Sauvignon Blanc
Warmer climates contribute to riper fruit profiles. Sauvignon Blanc grapes that are grown in these warmer regions will present on the ‘orange’ fruit spectrum (think orange melon rather than green melon) along with tropical and stone fruits such as granadilla and nectarine. The wines will have a fuller body and a less assertive acidity compared to their cool climate counterparts. A consumer can perceive this fuller body coupled with richer fruit intensity as ‘sweet’ even though the level of residual sugar levels may be similar. For some, this ‘perceived sweetness’ (and showcase of riper fruit characteristics) is preferred over the slightly more austere expressions of cool climate Sauvignon.
Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Valley in California tends to exhibit riper fruit flavours, such as melon, peach, and tropical fruits. Producers like Robert Mondavi showcase Sauvignon Blanc of this nature very well. Robert Mondavi’s ‘To Kalon’ Vineyard is home to a block of Sauvignon Blanc planted in 1945, which is thought to be the oldest in North America. It provides 100 percent of the fruit for their famed Fumé Blanc.
Warm regions like South Africa produce Sauvignon Blanc with riper tropical fruit flavours, rather than intensely ‘green’ styles of Sauvignon Blanc. Now, we know that South Africa is a warmer climate, especially compared to the cool New Zealand but there are still differences in climate within South Africa.
We refer to these as micro-climatic differences. For example, Beau Constantia situated in the relatively cool Constantia region, produces a very different expression of Sauvignon Blanc compared to Dalla Cia from the warmer Stellenbosch region, and very different to Paul Wallace’s and Eikendal’s Sauvignon Blanc that originate from the very cool Elgin area of South Africa.
Constantia Sauvignon Blancs are renowned for their aromas of gooseberry, blackcurrant, cut grass and sometimes a hint of bell pepper, Stellenbosch Sauvignon is generally more tropical in nature brimming with granadilla character while Elgin Sauvignon is bound to possess a heightened acidity and notes of green apple and white pear.
Final Words
Love it or hate it – one can’t argue with the fact that Sauvignon Blanc is one of the most relevant grape varietals in the world. If you’re a fan, fantastic, so are we! If you still need a little more convincing, why don’t you give our favourite Sauvignon Blancs a try:
- Eikendal Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc at £16.70 per bottle.
- Paul Wallace Little Flirt Sauvignon Blanc at £17.30 per bottle.
- Stellenbosch Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc at £14.35 per bottle.
- Dornier Cocoa Hill Sauvignon Blanc at £12.90 per bottle.
This blog was edited and posted by Digital Squeak.
