Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage image sourced from Pinterest
Sauvignon Blanc is responsible for some of the most in-demand wines in the world: Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé, Sauvignon Blanc wines from New Zealand. In recent years, there have even been product shortages when harvests have been smaller and demand has continued to increase. And yet, there are some who adamantly dislike Sauvignon Blanc wines, even among adventurous wine people. I’m in the “love it!” camp, though I still have my preferences amongst the various styles produced. Hopefully this tasting will help you determine where you stand on Sauvignon Blanc.
Stuff to know
I read once that it’s common for French parents to teach their children not to dislike particular foods, but to dislike particular preparations of those foods. For example, it’s ok to hate steamed broccoli, but that doesn’t mean you hate broccoli. Maybe you just like your broccoli roasted or sautéed. I wasn’t taught this decidedly open-minded method of exploring the world of tastes as a kid, but I’ve certainly adopted it as an adult. And yes, I still hate steamed broccoli and love it roasted or sautéed.
Sauvignon Blanc, in my opinion, is a lot like the broccoli of the wine world. It can be prepared in ways that make it pungent and aggressive. I’ve smelled Sauvignon Blanc that might as well have been canned asparagus mixed with cat piss. Wines that were so loud that they made me want to shrink away from the glass, feeling like my nose had been assaulted. And I’ve smelled Sauvignon Blanc with such subtlety that it was difficult to articulate what I was smelling, something like fresh dew and river stones and all things Spring.
I think it’s worth adopting a French parenting approach to Sauvignon Blanc in this tasting. Consider how the wine is prepared, and what style it’s aiming to achieve. Figure out which preparations you prefer. To help that effort, it’s worth knowing that there are 3 primary styles that most winemakers will aim to achieve:
Fruit-forward
These wines are usually made using stainless steel tanks and reductive winemaking methods that leave the fruit as the main focus. The fruit can be tropical, ripe, green or all of the above mixed together, but it will comprise the predominant flavor profile.
Restrained
These wines are often made using stainless steel, concrete tanks or old oak barrels that are ‘neutral’ thanks to years of use, so that no directly oaky flavors are imparted. These wines could be described as citrus-forward, floral or ‘mineral,’ showing aromas like river rocks, gunflint, wet slate or other hard-to-describe characteristics.
Oaked
These wines are made using toasted new oak barrels. The amount and methods of oak contact can vary widely, and will affect the wines’ quality. However, the oak’s impact on the wines should be clear. Think vanilla, caramel, toast, cedar. The texture and weight of these wines will be different too. During my studies in France, in a blind tasting exam in sensorial analysis class, I called one of these wines a Chardonnay, completely bombing that wine’s assessment. I didn’t even consider Sauvignon Blanc. Now, I know better. It’s a style I’m more familiar with today…even if I accept that I can still make the same mistake again.
What to look for in this tasting
Most Sauvignon Blanc wines are meant to be drunk young. There are wines that will develop for a few years in the bottle, and some will hold for longer, but for the most part, winemakers assume that you’ll be enjoying these wines while they’re relatively youthful and fresh. Knowing that leads me to look for said “freshness” in Sauvignon Blanc wines, in all of its various forms. Citrus-forward, grassy, tropical, toasty or dewier than iced tea, I think it’s worth seeking out flavor purity and freshness in these wines.
I will always look for balance and length as quality cues in wines, but in Sauvignon Blanc’s case, I’m also looking for that “freshness” thing that just makes me want to pop open a bottle on a warm, sunny day to soak in the pure refreshment that is Sauvignon Blanc.
The Wines
#1: Sancerre
Sancerre (”sahn-sehr”) is purportedly one of Taylor Swift’s favorite wines, for all the Swifties out there. For the rest of us, Sancerre, located in Central France in the Loire Valley, is already one of the world’s most famous wine styles, which is a pretty solid endorsement as it is. For some, Sancerre is the gold standard for Sauvignon Blanc, much like White Burgundy is the gold standard for Chardonnay. Hopefully this tasting will help you determine whether you agree.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternatives: Pouilly-Fumé, Menetou-Salon, Reuilly, Quincy, Touraine, Coteaux du Giennois
#2: New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc put New Zealand wines on the global map, and they’re still the country’s most important style. A late entrant to the global wine scene, New Zealand’s distinctive Sauvignon Blanc wines from the island’s sunny, cool and maritime climate first became recognized in the 1980s, largely thanks to Cloudy Bay. Marlborough is the best-known region for Sauvignon Blanc, and its signature style typically exhibits tropical fruit, green grassy or pepper-y aromas and brisk acidity. If you’ve ever tasted this style of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, you’re unlikely to forget it. You can usually smell it long before your nose nears the glass. However. These days, producers have expanded their repertoires, and styles range from restrained and textured to ripe and tropical. It’s worth asking your local retailer for a recommendation if you prefer one end of the spectrum over the other.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternatives: Stick with Sauvignon Blanc from any New Zealand wine region, like Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay, Nelson, North Canterbury, Wairarapa, Gisborne
#3: Entre-deux-Mers
“Ahn-truh-deuh-mer” translates to “between two seas,” a reference to the region’s location between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers that cut through Bordeaux, meeting at the mouth of the Gironde estuary that opens to the Atlantic Ocean.
Entre-deux-Mers wines are some of the few white wines made in this predominantly red wine region. Sauvignon Blanc is the primary grape, just like in Sancerre. However, these wines typically blend in Sémillon and/or Muscadelle, the same varieties used in the sweet wines from nearby Sauternes. Entre-deux-Mers wines, by contrast, are dry, and will have a distinctly different character than those from the Loire Valley. Quality varies widely, so consider asking for a producer recommendation from your local retailer.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternatives: Bordeaux Blanc, Graves, Pessac-Léognan, Côtes de Bordeaux
#4: American Sauvignon Blanc
American wineries have grown Sauvignon Blanc grapes since the 1880s, but we can thank Robert Mondavi for creating a style distinctive enough to earn global fame. In a smart marketing move, Mondavi created “Fumé Blanc,” a name made up to differentiate his oak-aged, Bordeaux-style Sauvignon Blanc wines. Legally, Fumé Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc are the same thing, though winemakers typically use Fumé Blanc to indicate that the wine’s style is ripe and fruit-forward, even if there isn’t any aging in oak barrels. Like most things in American wine, there are many, many different styles produced today. California and Washington are the states best known for Sauvignon Blanc wines today, and winemakers create styles distinctly their own, experimenting with techniques using stainless steel, concrete eggs, old and new oak barrels, amphorae and more.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternatives: Stick with Sauvignon Blanc from any American state
#5: Chilean Sauvignon Blanc
Chile’s wine reputation rests primarily on its reds, especially Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenère. But Sauvignon Blanc is Chile’s most planted white grape, and this long, narrow country has some seriously high elevation and cool climate regions producing lovely Sauvignon Blancs that are often sold for very affordable prices. Chilean Sauvignon Blancs tend to straddle the style line between the France and New Zealand, with less tropical fruit and green herbaceous-ness than wines from New Zealand, but with more fruit expression, especially citrus and melon, than is typical in France.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternatives: Stick with Chilean Sauvignon Blanc from regions like Limarí, Casablanca, San Antonio and Leyda Valleys, Bío Bío
#6: South African Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is one of South Africa’s “big six” grape varieties, alongside Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Pinotage. Practically every wine region in South Africa grows some of each of these grapes. Like many South African wines, the Sauvignon Blancs tend to fall somewhere in between the subtle French styles and the bolder styles from newer wine regions. Sémillon is also sometimes blended with Sauvignon Blanc, much like it is in Bordeaux.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternatives: Stick with Sauvignon Blanc from any South African wine area, like Darling, Durbanville, Constantia, Elim, Elgin or Hemel-en-Aarde. If you have difficulty finding any South African Sauvignon Blancs where you live, try looking for an Austrian Sauvignon Blanc, like those from Steiermark.
Tasting tips
The eats
One of the best things about Sauvignon Blanc, in my opinion, is its ability to pair with herbaceous, green vegetable-driven dishes. Salads heavy with greens, grain bowls with herby dressings, grilled artichokes, roasted asparagus, blistered padrón peppers, nopales tacos, salsa verde, chimichurri, green Thai curries, you get the gist. That said, Sauvignon Blanc has traditionally been paired with fresh seafood in Bordeaux and the cafés around France where Loire-based wines are shipped. Oysters, shrimps, crab and white fish are all common pairing partners.
If you’re keeping things on the easy side at your tasting, these wines will be delightful with goat cheeses and salty, aged cheeses like Pecorino romano. Fresh crudités and an herby dip would totally fit the bill.
The prep
The wines below are listed in the order that they should be included in the tasting, so that even if you only have the first 4 wines, you’ll have a great experience. However, I’d recommend adjusting the tasting order so that any wines that have intentional oak influence are tasted last.
If you’d like to taste Sauvignon Blanc in a sweet wine, check out Wine for Dessert.
