Sauvignon Blanc Flashcards
At high level, what can we expect from Sauvignon Blanc ?
Clear, crisp, refreshing, unoaked
What are the characteristics of the Sauvignon Blanc ?
- Aromatic
- String aromas of green fruits and vegetables (gooseberry, elderflower, green bell pepper, asparagus)
- High in acid
- Medium-bodied
- Almost always dry
- Mostly have no oak (otherwise can add flavours of toast and spices (vanilla, liquorice)
- Generally best drunk young
- Suitable for sweet wines (high acidity)
Which climates suits better to Sauvignon Blanc ?
- Cool climate for herbaceous character
- Moderate climate (but tend to lack of the intense pungent aromatic complexity)
Effect of grape ripeness on style and flavour of SB
- Herbaceous (grass)
- Vegetable (green pepper, asparagus)
- Floral (elderflower)
- Citrus fruits (lemon, lime)
- Green fruit (goosefruit)
- stone fruit (peach)
- tropical fruits (passion fruits)
Typical blends of SB
- Semillon
- Local varieties
Premium sites for SB
- Loire Central (Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé)
- Bordeaux (Pessac-Léognan, Graves)
- Australia (Adelaide Hills)
- New Zealand (Marlborough, more aromatic than Loire)
- California (Napa Valley Fumé blanc)
- Chile (Casablanca, San Antonio)
- South Africa (Constantia, Elgin)
What are the climate, styles and flavours of Sauvignon Blanc in Loire ?
Climate: Cool
Style: Dry white wines with high acidity, medium body, with moderate or pronounced aromas.
Flavours: Varietal green fruit of gooseberry and herbaceous notes of grass, blackcurrant leaf and nettle.
Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre produce the classic style of Sauvignon Blanc. The wines do not exhibit flavours of oak but may be fermented in old oak. The grape also produces easy drinking and straight forward wines from the greater Loire region. These wines tend to be priced from inexpensive to the premium price category.
What are the climate, styles and flavours of Sauvignon Blanc in Bordeaux ?
Climate: Moderate
Style: Dry white wines with medium to high acidity, medium or full body, sometimes fermented and/or aged in oak.
Flavours: Peach and apricot with hints of gooseberry; can develop into nutty aromas.
The wines are often blended with Sémillon to give body and allow complexity to develop in the bottle. Premium wines can frequently be fermented and aged in new oak. Price categories range up to premium.
What are the climate, styles and flavours of Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand ?
Climate: Cool
Style: Dry, medium body, high acidity, intense varietal aromas and some experimental oak contact.
Flavour: Gooseberry, green pepper and blackcurrant leaf can develop vegetal notes of asparagus and pea.
Marlborough is established as the classic region for very expressive Sauvignon Blanc wines in the New World. However, increasingly producers are experimenting in an attempt to find a point of difference for their own wines, so some are more restrained, or show hints of oak or lees flavour, or some are more full-bodied. The price category ranges up to premium.
What are the climate, styles and flavours of Sauvignon Blanc in California ?
Climate: Moderate (influenced by the proximity to the ocean)
Style: Dry, medium to full body and can be fermented and/or aged in oak.
Flavour: Some of the herbaceous varietal character of asparagus and grass comes through the spicy, oaky flavours of toast, liquorice and vanilla.
California produces a range of styles from unoaked, lightly oaked to heavily oaked wines and are often labelled as Fumé Blanc. They range in price from inexpensive to premium. The premium wines are inspired by the Bordeaux style.
What are the climate, styles and flavours of Sauvignon Blanc in Chile ?
Climate: Moderate (influenced by coastal mountains and the ocean)
Style: Dry, medium bodied but sometimes lees stirring and oak are used to add more body.
Flavours: Herbaceous character of asparagus and grass with more ripe fruit of peach and apricot.
The Casablanca region has gained a great reputation for producing high quality Sauvignon Blanc from inexpensive up to premium price range.
What are the climate, styles and flavours of Sauvignon Blanc in South Africa ?
Climate: Moderate
Style: Dry, medium to full bodied with two distinct styles – one is pungent and fruit driven (New Zealand style) and the other uses oak (Bordeaux style).
Flavours: Can be gooseberry, blackcurrant leaf and passion fruit in the fruit driven style or more herbaceous with asparagus and pea; nutty aromas develop with time.
South Africa is producing high quality Sauvignon Blanc and in two distinct styles – the New Zealand style being more for drinking straight away, the Bordeaux style is more complex and can age in bottle. Constantia and Elgin have a particular reputation for Sauvignon Blanc and the wines tend to be priced in the inexpensive to premium price category.
