Sauvignon Blanc

  • Aromas and Flavors : melon, mineral, herbal, grass, bell-pepper, or grapefruit (New Zealanders liken it to “gooseberry”) sometime described as a “catbox” odor can have a green olive addition with under-ripe grapes
  • Classically found in: Pouilly Fumé, Sancerre, Entre Deux Mers, Sauternes, Graves (part of the White Bordeaux blend) and Fume Blanc in California
  • Medium to high acidity and dry
  • Expose of the grapes to more sunlight yields wine that is more melon-like in aroma
  • Not common to use barrel-fermentation
  • Grown in too warm a climate, it loses it traditional aroma and acidity
  • Sauvignon Blanc is often blended outside of Loire Valley
  • In the Graves district of France’s Bordeaux region (normally 75-85% Sauvignon Blanc to 15-25% Semillon) to add an extra element of figs to the aroma and soften the wine
  • In Sauternes and Barsac, a blend of 60-70% Semillon with 30-40% Sauvignon Blanc is more typical
  • Loire Valley wines made from Sauvignon Blanc, such as Pouilly Fumé and Sancerre, are most often 100% Sauvignon Blanc, unblended and usually made without the use of oak
  • Charles Wetmore, founder of Cresta Blanca winery, brought the first cuttings of Sauvignon Blanc to California in the 1880s
  • Early American Sauvignon Blanc was made in a sweet style and became an early American favorite
  • Eventually, Sauvignon Blanc lost popularity with American palates, but regained popularity as a dry wine, often under an alias in California, where it is now sometimes labeled as “Fumé Blanc”
  • California producers tend to use the Loire-derived Fumé Blanc name and bottle shape for their blended and oak-aged wines (more like Bordeaux)
  • The California Sauvignon Blancs that are 100% varietal and without oak in fermentation or aging (like Loire Valley), are most often bottled in Bordeaux-style bottles
  • Also produced successfully by New Zealand and South Africa (excellent in both), Chile, Argentina
  • Lesser degrees of production in Washington State, Australia, and Italy