Grape Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Colour: White

Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape gets its name from the French word sauvage ("wild") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France. It is now planted in many of the world’s wine regions, producing a crisp, dry, and refreshing white varietal wine. Conversely, the grape is also a component of the famous sweet wines from Sauternes and Barsac. Sauvignon blanc is widely cultivated in France, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, California, and South America.

Depending on the climate, the flavour can range from aggressively grassy to sweetly tropical. Wine experts have used the phrase “crisp, elegant, and fresh” as a favourable description of Sauvignon blanc from the Loire Valley and New Zealand. Sauvignon blanc, when slightly chilled, pairs well with fish or cheese, particularly Chèvre. It is also known as one of the few wines that can pair well with sushi.
Along with Riesling, Sauvignon blanc was one of the first fine wines to be bottled with a screwcap in commercial quantities, especially by New Zealand producers. The wine is usually consumed young, as it does not particularly benefit from ageing. Dry and sweet white Bordeaux, typically made with Sauvignon blanc as a major component, is the one exception.

In France, Sauvignon blanc is grown in the maritime climate of Bordeaux and Sauternes as well as the continental climate of the Loire Valley (as Pouilly Fumé, Sancerre, Menetou-Salon, Quincy and Reuilly, and Sauvignon de Touraine). The climates of these areas are particularly favourable in slowing the ripening on the vine, allowing the grape more time to develop a balance between its acidity and sugar levels. This balance is important in the development of the intensity of the wine’s aromas. Winemakers in France pay careful attention to the terroir characteristics of the soil and the different elements that it can impart to the wine. The chalk and Kimmeridgean marl of Sancerre and Pouilly produces wines of richness and complexity while areas with more compact chalk soils produces wines with more finesse and perfume. The gravel soil found near the Loire River and its tributaries impart spicy and floral flavours. Vines planted in flint tend to produce the most vigorous and longest lasting wines.

Pouilly-Fumé originated from the town of Pouilly-sur-Loire, located directly across the Loire River from the commune of Sancerre. The soil here is very flinty with deposits of limestone which the locals believed imparted a smoky, gun flint flavour to the wine and hence Fumé, the French word for “smoke” was attached to the wine. Along with Sémillon, Muscadelle and Ugni blanc, Sauvignon blanc is one of only four white grapes allowed in the production of white Bordeaux wine. Mostly used as a blending grape, Sauvignon blanc is the principal grape in Château Margaux’s Pavillon Blanc, In the Sauternes region, the grape is blended with Sémillon to make the late harvest wine, Sauternes. The composition of Sauvignon blanc varies from producer and can range from 5-50% with the Premier Cru Supérieur Château d’Yquem using 20%. A traditional practice often employed in Sauternes is to plant one Sauvignon blanc vine at regular intervals among rows of Semillon. However, Sauvignon blanc’s propensity to ripen 1-2 weeks earlier can lead the grapes to lose some of their intensity and aroma as they hang longer on the vine. This has prompted more producers to isolate their parcels of Sauvignon blanc.

Near the edge of the Chablis commune is an AOC called Saint-Bris that is gaining attention for its Sauvignon blanc production.

Sauvignon blanc can be greatly influenced by decisions in the winemaking process. One decision is the amount of contact that the must has with the skins of the grape. In the early years of the New Zealand wine industry, there were no wineries on the South Island which meant that freshly harvested grapes had to be trucked and then ferried to the North Island, often all the way up to Auckland. This allowed for prolonged exposure of the skins and juice which sharpened the intensity and pungency of the wine. Some winemakers, like the Loire, intentionally leave a small amount of must to spend some time in contact with the skin for later blending purposes. Other winemakers, like in California, generally avoid any contact with the skin due to the reduced ageing ability of the resulting wine.
Another important decision is the temperature of fermentation. French winemakers prefer warmer fermentations (around 16-18 °C) that bring out the mineral flavours in the wine while New World winemakers prefer slightly colder temperatures to bring out more fruit and tropical flavors. A small minority of Loire winemakers will put the wine through malolactic fermentation, a practice more often associated with New Zealand wines. Oak ageing can have a pronounced effect on the wine, with the oak rounding out the flavors and softening the naturally high acidity of the grape. Some winemakers, like those in New Zealand and Sancerre, prefer stainless steel fermentation tanks over barrels with the intention of maintaining the sharp focus and flavour intensity.

Our list has more Sauvignon than you could shake a gooseberry bush at.

Moulin des Dames Blanc shows the potential of Sauvignon when it is harvested sur-maturité from low yielding biodynamic vines, given a maceration pelliculaire and extensive batonnage. Intense buttery, super-rich warm spiced apricots, peaches and quinces incredible concentration and well-defined minerality. Ample mouthfeel and vivacity essential for a fine equilibrium. Superb power and complexity.

Sauvignon de Touraine from Guy Allion has lifted aromas of elderflower cordial, Victoria plums and hints of grass. The palate is filled with gooseberry fool infused with elderflower and hints of summer fruit.
The wines of Domaine Henri Bourgeois illustrate the subtle interplay between Sauvignon and different terroirs.

The Sauvignons of the central Loire take their nuances from the variety of different soils and terroirs:
Caillottes (pebbly limestone soils) are composed primarily of chalk with a very small amount of earth. Grapes grown on these soils produce very aromatic wines with floral, fruity, boxwood and citrus notes. Soft when young, they are lively and often the first wines of the vintage ready to drink.

White Soils are made up of clay and limestone. These soils slow down the maturation of the grapes permitting a later harvest and healthier grapes. The wines also evolve more slowly. Discreet and nervous for the first few months, these wines begin to express themselves the summer following the harvest. Aromas evoke floral, fruity or at times vegetal nuances. Gradually the palate rounds and the wines gain body with age. The best vintages have remarkable aging potential. Balance and refinement are the foundations of these wines.

Flint, locally called “cailloux”, is characteristic of the vineyards alongside the Loire River. The stony soil (round pebbles) acts as a kind of storage heater accumulating the sun’s heat and radiating it to the vines thus quickening the grapes maturation. The spicy aromas, at times quite strong in young wines, diminish after several weeks. While young, the closed character of the wines lend themselves well to aging and they develop particularly interesting expression after a year in the bottle. Like gun-flint, these wines are powerful and cutting.

Kimmeridgean Marls are an original and interesting feature of the Sancerre terroirs. Thanks to its unique soil composition (fossilized oyster shells), the “Côte des Monts Damnés” is one of the most famous slopes of the Sancerre appellation. Only a dozen or so wine makers out of four hundred have the privilege to possess a parcel of this soil. Domaine HenriBourgeois owns 40% of the vineyard holding – this will increase to 60% after another parcel has been purchased. Having a strong personality, the wines require a little patience and will only fully express their character after a few years in the bottle. Well-balanced, soft and round, they provide a delicious cornucopia of exotic fruit aromas.

Domaine Bourgeois also purchased land in Marlborough, New Zealand, and planted vines in 2000. Since then Clos Henri has become one of the most acclaimed estates in the region. Sauvignon (grown on river gravels) is matured on the fine lees, and, to conserve the delicious citrus flavours, the wine does not undergo malolactic fermentation. So Sancerre or Marlborough Sauvignon? Well, it has stunning aromatic complexity and harmonious mineral and fruit nuances as well as a purity and freshness that suggests good ageing potential. It combines gentle passion fruit and citrus blossom characters unusual in New Zealand Sauvignon blanc, with more leanness of texture and complex intensity in the citrus to passion fruit spectrum.

Sauvignon is an exceptionally versatlile food grape variety. It matches a range of Thai and Chinese food as well as what is loosely called Pacific Rim or fusion cuisine. Served very chilled it is delicious with oysters, otherwise prawns and shrimps are ideal. Try with all manner of river fish: salmon or trout with sorrel sauce, for example. In the Loire it is classically matched with a goat’s cheese salad whilst Crottin de Chavignol with Sancerre from the same village is an utterly satisfying experience.