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Sauvignon Blanc : Key Points

As a grape with global popularity, Sauvignon Blanc is one of the most cultivated white varieties in the world.

Sauvignon Blanc is expressive of its terroir, and takes all of the characteristics from its terroir and expresses them into the wine. When grapes are under-ripe, Sauvignon Blanc is a very vegetal wine with herbaceous aromas. The aromas can even go as far as the smell of cat pee. However, at its very best, it is capable of displaying a fresh aromatic profile with typical notes of citrus like lemon and grapefruit, small white fruit like gooseberry, stone fruit or asparagus. The energetic palate had acidity and tension, and is full of flavour.

Sauvignon Blanc is usually fermented in stainless steel tanks before bottling and is almost never aged in oak barrels so that its aromatic freshness can be preserved. It is intended to be appreciated in its youth.

The great terroirs of the Loire Valley are among the most emblematic production areas of Sauvignon Blanc, particularly the Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé appellations that are known for Sauvignon Blanc with a notable aromatic intensity and structure. These wines have a concentrated, textured mouthfeel and a minerality coming from the limestone and flint soils in the region. Sauvignon is often made as a single varietal wine, but it can also be a blend. For example, in Bordeaux, Sauvignon Blanc is often blended with Sémillon and Muscadelle.

As an international grape variety, Sauvignon Blanc can be found in all the wine regions of the world. In Europe, it is grown in Austria and Italy, especially in the Friuli region. It is also commonly found the southern hemisphere where it is the source of great wines from South Africa and Malborough, New Zealand.