Cheers to International Sauvignon Blanc Day: Discover this world-famous variety
Sauvignon Blanc (sew-vin-yon blonk), a white wine grape variety, is renowned for its crisp acidity, herbal notes, and citrus flavors. It thrives in wine regions around the world such as France (especially in the Loire Valley and Bordeaux), New Zealand (think of the pungent Marlborough style!), California, South Africa, Chile and at home in Australia.
Read our blog to discover all there is to know about one of the world's most popular and well-known grape varieties, Sauvignon Blanc.
The History of Sauvignon Blanc
The original hometown of Sauvignon Blanc is the Loire Valley, France where it was first recorded by local monks in the 1500s.
The variety was named after the French words for wild (sauvage) and vine (vigne), which is apt due to the vine's tendency to grow out of control if it is not pruned or trained properly.
Interestingly, it is because of this wild growth that the noble grape variety Cabernet Sauvignon was first produced. During the 1750s the Sauvignon Blanc vine spread from the Loire Valley to Bordeaux where it crossed with Cabernet Franc and produced this world-famous red variety!
Fun fact:
One of Sauvignon Blanc’s parents was the ancient varietal Savagnin, which means this variety is also related to Grüner Veltliner, Chenin Blanc, Silvaner, and Verdelho.
What does Sauvignon Blanc taste like?
Although Sauvignon Blanc is mainly produced in an elegant, subtle style in France and across Europe, nowadays Sauvignon Blanc is a household name due to the infamously strong, herbaceous, ‘New World’ expression from Marlborough, New Zealand.
In fact, this style is what the variety is most known for (outside of Europe) and its success with Australian wine drinkers in the early 2000s has had a huge influence on the increase in Sauvignon Blanc plantings in Australia since. There are now over 6097 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc vineyards across the country.
The characteristic herbaceous aromas are associated with a family of aroma compounds called methoxypyrazines, which are found in higher concentrations in Sauvignon Blanc grown in cooler climates. In fact, there are some people who describe smelling 'cats pee' when they drink Sauvignon Blanc! This amusing description is actually caused by a unique chemical compound called '4MMP'. Found in higher concentrations in cooler climate Sauvignon Blanc, there really aren't many other wine aromas like it.
Another interesting and common tasting note for Sauvignon Blanc is ‘freshly cut grass’ owing to its incredibly herbaceous aromas.
Other common Sauvignon Blanc characteristics are passion fruit, capsicum (bell peppers), guava, melon and grapefruit.
Learn about Sauvignon Blanc Winemaking Styles
Most Sauvignon Blanc is aged in stainless steel and bottled while fresh and youthful.
More recently, winemakers are deciding to use lees contact and barrel ageing for a portion of their Sauvignon Blanc blend. This is a well-known wine style in France, where wines are called 'Fumé Blanc'. These winemaking techniques mean that we are seeing more rich, textural expressions of this variety, with hints of honeysuckle and stone fruit.
The Best Sauvignon Blanc in Margaret River
There are approximately 1,121 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc vineyards in Margaret River and these wines reflect some of the purest varietal characters in Australia. The Halliday Wine Companion wrote that “this Western Australian region champions Sauvignon Blanc like few others.”
Deep Woods 2023 Estate Sauvignon Blanc
A small portion of this wine was barrel fermented, paying homage to the great ‘Old World’ French style of Sauvignon Blanc (Fumé Blanc) from the Loire Valley, France.
"There's a special bond between place and variety here that creates a style unmatched elsewhere in Australia. The partial barrel ferment of a richly flavoured mix of snow pea, citrus and passionfruit has a refreshing undercarriage of polished acidity."
- 95 points, James Halliday Top 100 Wines of 2023
Evans & Tate 2022 Wild Cape Sauvignon Blanc
Wild Cape is a celebration of the raw beauty of Western Australia's southwest and embodies the spectacular coastline and distinct regional characteristics of Margaret River wine.
Senior Winemaker Matt Byrne describes this wine as “a relentless wave of flavour. Purity and energy – Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc in all its glory.”
Awarded a Trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc at the prestigious Sydney Royal Wine Show 2022, this is a flavoursome, long and delicious wine bursting with lychee, lime cordial and tropical fruits.
Sauvignon Blanc in Geographe
Located near the southern end of Western Australia's Indian Ocean coast, Geographe is the most diverse wine region in WA with over 36 different varieties planted across 790 hectares of vineyards.
Combined with a Mediterranean climate, the region’s warm temperatures are moderated by the sea breezes coming off the Indian Ocean. The region has a slightly hotter climate compared to Margaret River, leading to more powerful, fruit-driven wine styles.
Sauvignon Blanc is planted widely throughout the region and now makes up over 18% of all Geographe wine.
Millbrook 2023 Regional Sauvignon Blanc
This wine was awarded a Trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc at the Wine Show of Western Australia 2023.
Produced from fruit sourced from Margaret River and Geographe, this wine exhibits vibrant tropical and citrus aromas, with herbaceous notes of freshly cut grass. On the palate, this is a refreshing, dry Sauvignon Blanc with juicy gooseberry and a zesty acidity.
Winemaker Emma recommends drinking this wine with "fresh Western Australian seafood or for the ultimate warming Autumn meal try a rosemary and thyme roast chicken."
Sauvignon Blanc in Tasmania
Despite almost all of Tasmania’s vines being ripped out in the early 1900s due to the belief that the area was too far south to make wine, today Tasmania is known as a premium, cool climate wine region. In particular, Tasmania produces world-class Sauvignon Blanc, which now makes up around 12% of all Tasmanian grape varieties planted.
Strelley Farm 2020 Sauvignon Blanc
This exceptional Tasmanian wine is a blend of Coal River Valley and the East Coast fruit. A portion of this wine was barrel fermented on light lees imparting richness and texture. This Sauvignon Blanc bursts with bright stone-fruit characters, perfumed elderflower and lime zest, alongside juicy passion fruit and vibrant herbal notes.
Make sure to pair this wine with flash-fried Tasmanian abalone in a brown butter sauce for the ultimate food and wine experience.
Shop all of our Sauvignon Blanc wines here.
