Wine Focus April 2025 - Sauvignon Blanc, love it or leave it

[David M. Bueker]

Wish I could add a poll!

Trying to be open minded, as I know some here like the grape. I actually had a 2008 (!) Araujo Sauvignon Blanc a few weeks ago that I actually liked versus tolerated. So it can happen.

SB does very different things depending on where it’s from. The grassy character can be completely absent or the dominant feature. Jancis Robinson once famously said it’s like “cat pee on a gooseberry bush.”

So where do you stand? Particular loves? Certain regions or producers you actively dislike? FWIW, my least favorite SB comes from the Styria region of Austria.

[Jenise]

I love them all; it's my favorite white grape. Prefer the super-grassy feral types over the bright fruit of New Zealand, but I'm open to all of it (as you know).

I love them all; it's my favorite white grape...

Strong words!

Curious for the reasoning? I used to have a good friend whose favorite grape was Sauvignon Blanc, primarily because she enjoyed flavorful and refreshing wines, but was not necessarily looking for profundity with her nightly glass.

And maybe it's an unfair oversimplification, but I do think Chardonnay, Riesling and Chenin reach higher levels of profundity. I supplement those with some Gruner, Sylvaner, various other whites, which I might put on the Sauvignon Blanc 'level', although I never seem to get around to it these days...

Saw the title and I was wondering if this was an April Fools joke.

So where do you stand? Particular loves? Certain regions or producers you actively dislike? FWIW, my last favorite SB comes from the Styria region of Austria.

I've heard good things about SB from here as well. Tried one from Tement that was inexpensive (~$24) and excellent. The only reason I haven't bought more is that Tement also makes a Gelber Muskateller that's around the same tab, and I liked it even more as a lightweight, barely dry, super-aromatic and fun sipper.

[David M. Bueker]

Oops…it’s supposed to say my least favorite!

[Jenise]

I love them all; it's my favorite white grape...

Strong words!

Curious for the reasoning?

Hard to explain or defend. I just like it! And it has so many variations. From the mineral elegance of Sancerre and South Africa to the to the assertive and ageable richness of white Bordeaux (thanks to some Semillon, I realize) to the complex spiciness of Rochioli and the feral haystacks of Bevan's unfiltered Bennet Valley SB's California SB...the variations are quite extreme. As for profundity, I do find it.

What I think is true is that SB hasn't been taken as seriously by the public, so it hasn't behooved winemakers to make more profound versions for the small lot of us who would seek them out and pay $50+ for them. But that's changing as more people lean into plant- and seafood- based diets and find that SB's herbaceousness is a great match; not long ago I saw a chart that showed that acreage of Sauv Blanc rose in the last year or three more than any other variety.

Hard to explain or defend. I just like it!

Well that is as good a reason as any!

When I've had the more impressive versions (Cotat) they have been delicious but haven't inspired me to buy them instead of other grapes/regions in the same price range. But I suppose that's just personal preference.

I enjoyed a lot of refreshing Sancerre, Reuilly and Pouilly Fume at the very beginning of my wine journey, although a recent taste showed that warm vintages have changed everything everywhere! Alas...

We drink quite a lot of Sauvignon derived whites because there are many available here especially from Bordeaux (usually with some other grapes, mainly Sémillon, in a blend) and the Loire basin (100%). While I find that the Loire basin's other main white grape, Chenin, is capable of greater heights (IMO on a par with Riesling and Chardonnay), appellations like Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé, Menetou-Salon, Reuilly and Quincy can provide exhilarating and tangy wines with an easily recognized taste profile, which pair very well with shellfish and pungent crustacean and other fish preparations. I would love to try some more SB from other parts of Europe and the New World but that is a difficult quest in rural France.

Based on the international demand for SB, the wines from well-known Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé estates are becoming quite pricey as is similar status Loire Chenin, if not quite to the same extent. At around €10, which is where my everyday drinking is situated, there are better values in Chenin (Savennières and Vouvray, etc.).

To summarize about SB, for me “love it” is a bit strong, but “leave it” definitely not.

Because it is my wife's favorite wine (of any color), I drink more SB than I otherwise would. Marlborough SB from a few higher quality producers is our preferred source, though white Bdx and Sudsteiermark expressions also appeal. OTOH, neither of us is much of a fan of the CA versions and I can take or leave Sancerre.

[Robin Garr]

Like a lot of others here, I don't hate SB, but I don't usually seek it out. I've got one in the tasting queue for next week, though: Craggy Range 2023 Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc. I hope I'm happy!

[Jenise]

Robin, you should be. Craggy Range's Sauv Blancs are quite elegant, they use a modest amount of oak to round off the corners and don't try to blow your head off with an explosion of zesty, Margarita-like NZ-ness, which some do.

Oops…it’s supposed to say my least favorite!

well, then I'm definitely not opening that Tement SB for you any time soon. But I will have a glass of the Gelber Muskateller for you to try sometime. Love that grape as you know. (And it's a fun, lighter expression, though dry. Not as intense/rich as the MC you brought to my place last time.)

[Robin Garr]

Robin, you should be. Craggy Range's Sauv Blancs are quite elegant, they use a modest amount of oak to round off the corners and don't try to blow your head off with an explosion of zesty, Margarita-like NZ-ness, which some do.

Good news! Thanks, Jenise. Looking forward ...

Jancis Robinson once famously said it’s like “cat pee on a gooseberry bush.”.

I think the originator of that description was Oz Clarke on the BBC TV programme 'Food & Drink', and he wasn't talking of the variety in general but of the New Zealand version from Marlborough in particular..

When I was doing the WSET classes many years ago SB was dismissed as unworthy except in Sauternes. Chardonnay and Riesling were 'noble' varieties but at the start of my interest in wine I went on a wine tour to Bordeaux and the following year another one to Burgundy. I preferred the red and white wines of Bordeaux over Burgundy.

There is great variation in SB, same with Chardonnay. The reason Marlborough SB cane such an instant hit was many people loved the acidic/gooseberry taste that wasn't present in other SBs.

We love it, and we have a white every week with fish on Fridays. Mrs M refuses to drink any white that isn't NZ SB to such an extent that she buys it - the only wines she does buy.

So I'll take part, and it'll be a NZ SB

Heres a winner SB from 2024 Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand.

Nice aromatics with ripe gooseberry, olive and lime. "Green peppers and grass" from across the patio. Shellfish, salads, a very good match.

[Robin Garr]

This one's not cheap, but at 2/3 the price of Cloudy Bay, it wins with more complexity and elegance ... but that doesn't mean its New Zealand character is muted.

Craggy Range 2023 Te Muna Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc ($23.99)

A light straw color with a brassy hue, Craggy Range 2023 Te Muna Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc opens with a distinct scent of fresh jalapeño peppers that's quickly joined with juicy pink grapefruit aromas and a hint of lime. Fresh grapefruit dominates an appealing, complex flavor framed by food-friendly acidity, with steely minerality appearing in a very long, clean finish. 12.5% alcohol. U.S. importer: Kobrand Corp., Purchase, N.Y.

[Robin Garr]

Famille Dubard 2023 Coeur du Mont Sauvignon Blanc ($12.99)

Labeled Vin du France but actually grown sustainably in France's Sud-Ouest region, Dubard Coeur du Mont Sauvignon Blanc is a very light brass color. It shows an appealing, surprisingly complex aroma mix of ripe peaches, lemon and lime, and a whiff of green olive. Peach and citrus carry over in a fresh, mouth-watering flavor framed by food-friendly acidity, with intriguing rainwater-over-rocks minerality coming in on a very long finish. Modest 12.5% alcohol.

FOOD MATCH: It would be a natural with oysters and other shellfish as well as mild, white-fleshed fish. Enjoy it also with omelets, seafood or vegetable risotto or pasta dishes, or a polenta.

WHEN TO DRINK: This is a wine meant for current enjoyment, not for cellaring; but don't worry, it's not going to fall apart in the next year or even three.

VALUE:
Wine-Searcher.com's database calculates a $16 average U.S. retail price, with local pricing covering a spread from $12 to $21. I was delighted with my $13 local price, but this excellent white wine ranks as good value throughout the teens.

WEB LINK:
This is importer Skurnik's link to a fact sheet on Dubard Coeur du Mont Sauvignon Blanc.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Check prices and find vendors for Dubard Coeur du Mont Sauvignon Blanc on Wine-Searcher.com.

Read about the Vin de France classification (formerly Vin de Table) on Wine-Searcher.com.

Here is Wine-Searcher's info page about Sauvignon Blanc, with links to dozens of Sauvignon Blanc wines and vendors.

[Jenise]

Took a chance on this wine from a new WA producer at the premium level that a wine store in Anacortes has been plugging.

2022 Piolet Sauvignon Blanc The Summer of Jim Horse Heaven Hills
You know that thing that you taste on the finish and immediately reach for the bottle to check the abv? Yeah, this bottle. 14.9%. Unfiltered complexity good but the alcohol ruins the experience. For $55. No point wasting any more words on it.

[Jenise]

Last night shared this with friends:

2024 Dunham Sauvignon Blanc, Washington
Pale gold color, nice nose. Very lightly grassy--just enough to be unmistakably Sauvignon Blanc but not enough to run anyone who dislikes that characteristic out of the room. Overall a very nice wine and would happily drink again, but wouldn't buy again as compared to continuing the search for better options at the $20 price point.

[David M. Bueker]

$20 is a tough point these days!