Originally from France, Sauvignon Blanc is now grown around the world. It is recognisable by its lively aromas of citrus, grapefruit, fresh grass and blackcurrant bud.
A crisp, aromatic white
Its wines are usually light to medium-bodied, with marked acidity. It is mostly made as a dry white, on its own or in blends (often with Sémillon), but it also goes into great sweet wines.
Its bunches are small to medium and compact, with green-yellow berries. On fertile soil the vine is very vigorous, so growers must control yields to make concentrated wines.
Did you know? Sauvignon Blanc is one of the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon, born a few centuries ago from a chance cross with Cabernet Franc. It also makes up about 25% of Château d’Yquem, alongside Sémillon, perhaps the most famous sweet wine in the world. And it has at least two mutations: Sauvignon Rouge, with dark berries, and Sauvignon Gris, with pinkish berries.
Bordeaux and the Loire
In France it is simply called Sauvignon. In Bordeaux, dry whites blend it with Sémillon and sometimes Muscadelle, under appellations such as Pessac-Léognan or Entre-Deux-Mers. In Sauternes and Barsac, Sauvignon and Sémillon grapes stay on the vine into autumn; Botrytis cinerea, noble rot, shrivels them and concentrates their sugar, producing sweet wines that age for a very long time.
In the Loire Valley, Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé are the benchmarks. In Pouilly it is also called “blanc fumé”, a name that inspired Robert Mondavi: in the late 1960s he named his Californian Sauvignon “Fumé Blanc”, a term still used for oak-aged Sauvignons.
Elsewhere in the world
New Zealand, especially Marlborough, made a very expressive, herbaceous and exotic style famous. Chile, South Africa, Australia and Spain also grow large areas of it.
Tasting
Few grapes offer such a wide range. The New Zealand style is herbaceous and intense; the Loire is more floral and lemony; Bordeaux fuller and often barrel-aged. In California and Chile, flavours run from snow peas to honeydew melon, with a flinty mineral touch.
The glass
A glass with a fine, slender bowl preserves its freshness and citrus aromas: the Riedel Performance Sauvignon Blanc glass.
