Tomorrow is International Sauvignon Blanc Day! As a long time fan of the easy drinking and food friendly varietal, I decided another Sauvignon Blanc tasting was in order. (Previous Sauvignon Blanc Tastings on Always Ravenous California Sauvignon Blanc Tasting and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Tasting.) The flavor profile of Sauvignon Blanc that you may conjure up in your head from past experience can in reality vary widely depending on the region where it is grown and the winemaking style. The Sauvignon Blanc flavor profile can range from grassy, citrus, gooseberry to melon, stone fruit, minerality notes. So what is your Sauvignon Blanc style? I have my personal favorites, but to celebrate International Sauvignon Blanc day I went shopping for a variety of Sauvignon Blancs that I had not tried.
Sauvignon Blanc Tasting Notes
2016 Greyrock, Marlborough New Zealand
100% Sauvignon Blanc 12% ABV SRP $12 (purchased at Total Wines)
Greyrock
Clear in color. Light body. A crisp light refreshing wine with a grassy nose and citrus grapefruit flavors. The wine is sustainably grown in terraced vineyards 100 meters high in altitude on a dry gravel river bed. This is the perfect aperitif wine, but would also pair nicely with seafood and light salads.
2015 Emmolo, Napa Valley
100% Sauvignon Blanc 12.5% ABV SRP $20 (purchased at Wholefoods)
Emmolo Wines
Clear in color. A flinty citrus nose. Light to medium body with a nice balance of acidity and minerality on the palate. More complex than the Greyrock. The Emmolo was fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks with a small portion aged in older French oak barrels. Perfect as an aperitif wine, but also nice with seafood and poultry dishes.
2016 Domaine Des Grandes Perrières Sancerre, Upper Loire Valley
100% Sauvignon Blanc 12.5% ABV SRP $25 (purchased at Total Wines)
Pale to clear yellow in color with a slight green hue. Light body. Lime, citrus, and fresh acidity with a note of honeysuckle on the palate. A beautiful lingering finish. Serve as an aperitif wine or would also be nice with shellfish.
2015 Château Doisy-Daëne Grand Vin De Bordeaux
100% Sauvignon Blanc 13.5%ABV SRP $25 (purchased at Total Wines)
Domaine Château Doisy-Daëne
Pale golden in color. Medium body. Flinty, grapefruit, guava nose. Clean fresh acidity with notes of orange pith and pineapple. Beautiful lingering finish. The vineyards are located in Barsac in the Sauternes appellation. The vineyard soils are composed of a thin layer of clayey sands, known as “Barsac red sands” that top the chalky subsoil. This medium bodied Sauvignon Blanc would pair nicely with a risotto, grilled or oven roasted fish or poultry.
I tend to prefer the lighter to medium style Sauvignon Blancs with the grassy citrus notes. My favorite of the four were the Greyrock and the Domaine Des Grandes Perrières Sancerre. Sauvignon Blanc is my favorite aperitif wine and these two are perfect. They are light refreshing and would pair well with a range of appetizers. A classic pairing with Sauvignon Blanc is goat cheese. I found these savory goat cheese balls from a local cheese producer, Capra Gia Cheese Company. Capra Gia sells at many local Atlanta farmers markets and I have seen it at my local Wholefoods, the cheese is worth searching out or you could make your own savory variations with fresh goat cheese.
Happy International Sauvignon Blanc Day! Cheers
Leave a Reply