Sauvignon blanc is a green grape variety which originating from the
Bordeaux region of France.
The grape gets it name from the French word
sauvage ("wild") and blanc ("white") due to its early origins as an
indigenous grape in western France.
Today it is now planted in many
parts of the world's wine regions. It produces a crisp, dry, and
refreshing varietal wine. Depending on climate, sauvignon blanc flavors
range from very grassy to sweetly tropical.
Wine experts often refer to
the flavors as "cat's pee on a gooseberry bush" as a nice description
of Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley and New Zealand.
Sauvignon Blanc Smell and/or Flavor Elements:
| Varietal Aromas/Flavors: | Processing Bouquets/Flavors: |
| Herbaceous: grass, weeds, lemon-grass, gooseberry | vanilla, sweet wood |
| Vegetal: bell pepper, green olive, asparagus, capsicum | butter, cream |
| Fruity: grapefruit, lime, melon | oak, smoke, toast |
| Aggressive: mineral, "catbox" | Flint |
Sauvignon Blanc was one of the first fine wines to be bottled with a
screwcap in commercial quantities, especially by New Zealand producers
and subsequently the Californians. California is now one of the leading
producers in volume of Sauvignon Blanc. The styles vary throughout the
state, but generally speaking the wines produced no longer have the
severe grassy and/or herbaceous character they had several years ago.
Stylistically the wine now is much rounder, more tropical, and much
friendlier than in the past. While the taste profile of Sauvignon Blanc
has improved dramatically it still has retained its acidic backbone.
This acidity makes the wine exceptional with all types of food
(especially spicy/asian cuisine), but it is generally overlooked in food
pairings for its more popular white counterpart, Chardonnay.
The Sauvignon Blanc vine grows very aggressively, and in the past it
wasn’t tended to as meticulously as it is now. Throughout the growing
season most growers pull Sauvignon Blanc leaves off the vines to thin
them of their large canopy. This results in more sun exposure to the
grapes, which in turn results in riper and richer wines.
California and Washington State have experienced a shortage in
Sauvignon Blanc grapes the last 5 or 6 years. The shortage is a result
of 2 main factors: 1) The popularity of the varietal, and 2) When
Merlot became popular in the 1980s a lot of growers ripped up their
Sauvignon Blanc vines to plant Merlot and make more money from their
land.