Sauvignon Blanc
APPEARANCE
ON THE VINE: small to medium bunches; compact, tightly packed clusters; conical in shape, almost cylindrical.
IN THE GLASS: usually bright white with a straw hue, or with hints of lime green when young and fresh.
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SMELL
An aromatic varietal with odours ranging from “cat’s pee on a gooseberry bush”
to nettles, herbs, peppers, wafts of fresh asparagus and grass. Sometimes
there’s a distinctive smell of hot, earthy stones and (gun) flint. Herbal.
TASTE
Typically crisp, green and lively – ‘racy’, even, due to its acidity and the
freshness of those flavours that carry through from the nose – the grassy
herbaceousness. The three main styles include: those that are stony, steely,
flinty, herbaceous, austere and sometimes exhibiting freshly-cut grass, with
peppery tones, occasionally gun-barrels (cordite); those from riper fruit that
produce gooseberry, bell-pepper and asparagus flavours; and those full-ripe or
aged examples that take on strong vegetal, mushroom and fig-preserve features.
Another style is the wooded version, Fumé Blanc or Blanc Fumé, which can be
confused with Chenin, Chardonnay, even Semillon.
ORIGIN
The literature suggests that it has its origins in France, particularly
Bordeaux. Nowadays it is France’s fourth most planted grape with the majority
of plantings found in Bordeaux where it is responsible for huge amounts of
Bordeaux Blanc. Alternatively it is blended with Semillon to produce the
typical Graves white blend. It is also the grape used for the great dessert
wines of Sauternes, notably Chateau d’Yquem. Perhaps its best varietal
expression can be found in the Loire – in Sancerre and Pouilly Fume
specifically, where it results in wonderful flinty, mineral wines. The
Languedoc in the south of France also has large plantings but because of the
relative warmth of this area, the varietal expression is not as good.
IN SOUTH AFRICA
No one is quite certain how or when the grape was first planted locally
although records reflect that it was available as early as 1928 in a production
block at Tweejongegezellen in Tulbagh. There was a resurgence in interest in it
in the early 1970’s when material was propagated from the research institute at
Nietvoorbij. Interestingly, the vines were planted near the institute’s weather
station – which is why many farmers still refer to that type of Sauvignon Blanc
as the “weerstasie kloon”. The Bergkelder drove the expansion and the first
modern plantings were at Le Bonheur in Stellenbosch and at Meerendal in
Durbanville in 1976 – and those vines are still in production! Plantings then
spread virtually throughout the Cape. According to former Uitkyk winemaker Theo
Brink: “The first ‘modern’ Sauvignon Blanc was released by Le Bonheur as a
Blanc Fumé, even though it hadn’t been wooded.”
ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD
Besides France, Sauvignon is widely planted in New Zealand, Chile and California
BEST EXAMPLES
In South Africa: Bloemendal, Fleur du Cap Unfiltered, Neil Ellis Groenekloof,
Springfield, Steenberg and Vergelegen have been among the top performers in
recent years, and under the Bellingham label there’s Our Founder’s Sauvignon
Blanc. In New Zealand, Marlborough’s Cloudy Bay is a New World benchmark.
Jean-Claude Chatelain and Didier Dagueneau are responsible for excellent wines,
while Henri Bourgeois, Roger Pinard and Christian Thirot have good examples
of Sancerre. It also forms part of the blend in the world-famous dessert wines
of Sauternes, with Chateau d’Yquem the most outstanding.
AGEING POTENTIAL
Usually best drunk young – within one to three years of purchase – although
there have been some delightful exceptions to the rule, especially from
Constantia in the case of SA Sauvignon.
MATCHING WITH FOOD
Quite versatile, as it goes particularly well with pasta – even with fairly
tart, tomato based sauces; fish, shellfish, spicy Chinese or Thai food,
asparagus and salads.
SERVING TEMPERATURE
Between 8° and 14° C.
