| Sauvignon blanc | |
|---|---|
| Grape (Vitis) | |
 Ripe Sauvignon blanc grapes | |
| Color of berry skin | Blanc |
| Species | Vitis vinifera |
| Also called | Sauvignon jaune, Blanc Fume (France), Muskat-Silvaner (Germany & Austria), Fumé Blanc, Sav Blanc (Australia) andother synonyms |
| Origin | France |
| Notable regions | |
| Notable wines | Sauternes,Sancerre |
| Hazards | Powdery mildew,oidium,black rot, andBotrytis cinerea |
| VIVC number | 10790 |
Sauvignon blanc (French pronunciation:[soviɲɔ̃blɑ̃]ⓘ) is a green-skinnedgrape variety that originates from the city ofBordeaux inFrance. The grape most likely gets its name from the French wordssauvage ("wild") andblanc ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape inSouth West France.[1] It is possibly a descendant ofSavagnin. Sauvignon blanc is planted in many of the world'swine regions, producing a crisp, dry, and refreshing whitevarietal wine. The grape is also a component of the famousdessert wines fromSauternes andBarsac. Sauvignon blanc is widely cultivated in France,Chile,Romania,Canada,Australia,New Zealand,South Africa,Bulgaria, the states ofOregon,Washington, andCalifornia in the US. SomeNew World Sauvignon blancs, particularly from California, may also be called "Fumé Blanc", amarketing term coined byRobert Mondavi in reference toPouilly-Fumé.
Depending on theclimate, the flavor can range from aggressively grassy to sweetly tropical. In cooler climates, the grape has a tendency to produce wines with noticeableacidity and "green flavors" of grass, green bell peppers and nettles with some tropical fruit (such aspassion fruit) and floral (such aselderflower) notes. In warmer climates, it can develop more tropical fruit notes but risks losing mucharoma fromover-ripeness, leaving only slightgrapefruit and tree fruit (such aspeach) notes.[2]
Wine experts have used the phrase "crisp, elegant, and fresh" as a favorable description of Sauvignon blanc from theLoire Valley and New Zealand.[3][4] Sauvignon blanc, when slightly chilled,pairs well with fish orcheese, particularlychèvre. It is also known as one of the few wines that can pair well withsushi.[5]
Along withRiesling, Sauvignon blanc was one of the first fine wines to be bottled with ascrewcap in commercial quantities, especially by New Zealand producers. The wine is usually consumed young and does not particularly benefit fromaging, as varietal Sauvignon blancs tend to develop vegetal aromas reminiscent of peas andasparagus with extendedaging. Dry and sweet whiteBordeaux, including oak-aged examples fromPessac-Léognan andGraves, as well as some Loire wines from Pouilly-Fumé andSancerre are some of the few examples of Sauvignon blancs with aging potential.[2]
The first Friday in May is International Sauvignon Blanc Day.[6]
The Sauvignon blanc grape traces its origins to the Val de Loire region in France according to Jancis Robinson in her book "Wine Grapes". The earliest recording was in 1534 by Francois Rabelais in his book, Gargantua. As noted above, it is not clear that the vine originated in western France. Ongoing research suggests it may have descended from Savagnin. It has also been associated with the Carmenere family. At some point in the 18th century, the vine paired withCabernet Franc to parent theCabernet Sauvignon vine in Bordeaux. In the 19th century, plantings in Bordeaux were often interspersed withSauvignon vert (In Chile, known asSauvignonasse) as well as the Sauvignon blanc pinkmutationSauvignon gris. Prior to thephylloxera epidemic, theinsect plague which devastated French vineyards in the 19th century, these interspersed cuttings were transported toChile where thefield blends are still common today. Despite the similarity in names, Sauvignon blanc has no known relation to theSauvignon rosé mutation found in theLoire Valley ofFrance.[7]
The first cuttings of Sauvignon blanc were brought toCalifornia byCharles Wetmore, founder ofCresta Blanca Winery, in the 1880s.[8] These cuttings came from theSauternes vineyards ofChâteau d'Yquem. The plantings produced well inLivermore Valley. Eventually, the wine acquired the alias of Fumé Blanc in California by promotion ofRobert Mondavi in 1968. The grape was first introduced to New Zealand in the 1970s as an experimental planting to be blended withMüller-Thurgau.[9]
The Sauvignon blanc vine often buds late butripens early, which allows it to perform well in sunny climates when not exposed to overwhelming heat. In warm regions such asSouth Africa,Australia andCalifornia, the grape flourishes in cooler climateappellations such as theAlexander Valley area.[7] In areas where the vine is subjected to high heat, the grape will quickly become over-ripe and produce wines with dull flavors and flat acidity. Rising global temperatures have caused farmers toharvest the grapes earlier than they have in the past.[10]
The grape originated in France, in the regions of Bordeaux and the Loire Valley.[11] Plantings in California, Australia, Chile and South Africa are also extensive, and Sauvignon blanc is steadily increasing in popularity as white wine drinkers seek alternatives toChardonnay.[citation needed] The grape can also be found inItaly andCentral Europe.
In Australia, particularly theMargaret River region, the grape is often blended withSémillon.Varietal styles, made from only the Sauvignon blanc grape, fromAdelaide Hills andPadthaway have a style distinctive from their New Zealand neighbors that tend to be more ripe in flavor with white peach and lime notes and slightly higher acidity.[9]
In the early 1990s,ampelographers began to distinguish Sauvignon blanc from Sauvignonasse plantings in Chile. The character of non-blended Chilean Sauvignon blanc are noticeably less acidic than the wines of New Zealand and more similar to the French style that is typical ofChilean wines. The region ofValparaíso is the most notable area for Sauvignon blanc in Chile due to its cooler climate which allows the grapes to be picked up to six weeks later than in other parts of Chile. In Brazil, ampelographers have discovered that the vines called Sauvignon blanc planted in the region are reallySeyval blanc.[9]
InFrance, Sauvignon blanc is grown in themaritime climate of Bordeaux (especially in Entre-Deux-Mers, Graves and Pessac-Léognan as a dry wine, and in Sauternes as a sweet wine) as well as thecontinental climate of the Loire Valley (asPouilly Fumé,Sancerre, and Sauvignon deTouraine). The climates of these areas are particularly favorable in slowing the ripening on the vine, allowing the grape more time to develop a balance between its acidity and sugar levels. This balance is important in the development of the intensity of the wine's aromas.Winemakers in France pay careful attention to theterroir characteristics of the soil and the different elements that it can impart to the wine. Thechalk and Kimmeridgeanmarl of Sancerre and Pouilly produces wines of richness and complexity while areas with more compact chalk soils produces wines with more finesse and perfume. Thegravel soil found near the riverLoire and its tributaries impart spicy, floral and mineral flavors while in Bordeaux, the wines have a fruitier personality. Vines planted inflint tend to produce the most vigorous and longest lasting wines.[10]
Pouilly Fumé originate from the town ofPouilly-sur-Loire, located directly across the Loire River from the commune ofSancerre. The soil here is very flinty with deposits oflimestone, which the locals believed imparted a smoky, gunflint flavor to the wine, and henceFumé, the French word for "smoky", was attached to the wine.[12] Along with Sémillon,Muscadelle andUgni blanc, Sauvignon blanc is one of only four white grapes allowed in the production of whiteBordeaux wine. Mostly used as a blending grape, Sauvignon blanc is the principal grape inChâteau Margaux'sPavillon Blanc,[13] In the northernRhône Valley, Sauvignon Blanc is often blended withTressallier to form a tart white wine.[14]
In the Sauternes region, the grape is blended with Sémillon to make thelate harvest wine,Sauternes. The composition of Sauvignon blanc varies from producer and can range from 5-50% with thePremier Cru Supérieur Château d'Yquem using 20%. A traditional practice often employed in Sauternes is to plant one Sauvignon Blanc vine at regular intervals among rows ofSémillon. However, Sauvignon blanc's propensity to ripen 1–2 weeks earlier can lead the grapes to lose some of their intensity and aroma as they hang longer on the vine. This has prompted more producers to isolate their parcels of Sauvignon blanc.[15]
Near the edge of theChablis commune is an AOC calledSaint-Bris that is gaining attention for its Sauvignon blanc production.[16]
In the 1990s, Sauvignon blanc wines from the maritime climatic regions ofNew Zealand, particularly theSouth Island, became popular on the wine market. In theMarlborough wine region, sandy soils overslate shingles have become the most desirable locations for plantings due to the good drainage of the soil and poor fertility that encourages the vine to concentrate its flavors in lower yields. In the flood plain of theWairau River Valley, the soil runs in east-west bands across the area. This can create a wide diversity of flavors for vineyards that are planted north-south with the heavier soils producing more herbaceous wines from grapes that ripen late and vines planted in stonier soils ripening earlier and imparting more lush and tropical flavors. It is this difference in soils, and the types of harvest time decisions that wine producers must make, that add a unique element to New Zealand Sauvignon blanc.[10]
The long narrow geography of the South Island ensures that no vineyard is more than 80 miles (130 km) from the coast. The cool, maritime climate of the area allows for a long and steady growing season in which the grapes can ripen and develop a natural balance of acids and sugars. This brings out the flavors and intensity that distinguish New Zealand Sauvignon blancs.[17] More recently,Waipara in theSouth Island andGisborne andHawkes Bay in theNorth Island have been attracting attention for their Sauvignon blanc releases, which often exhibit subtle differences to those from Marlborough. The asparagus, gooseberry and green flavor commonly associated with New Zealand Sauvignon blanc is derived from flavor compounds known asmethoxypyrazines that becomes more pronounced and concentrated in wines from cooler climate regions.[18] Riper flavors such as passion fruit, along with other notes such as boxwood, may be driven bythiol concentrations.[19]
In North America, California is the leading producer of Sauvignon blanc with plantings also found in theWashington state and on theShort Hills Bench of theNiagara Peninsula andOkanagan Valley in Canada. Sauvignon Blanc is also grown in small regions inOhio along Lake Erie and the Ohio River. In California wine produced from the Sauvignon blanc grape is also known as Fumé Blanc. ThisCalifornia wine was first made byNapa Valley'sRobert Mondavi Winery in 1968. Mondavi had been offered a crop of particularly good Sauvignon blancgrapes by a grower. At that time the variety had a poor reputation in California due to its grassy flavor and aggressive aromas. Mondavi decided to try to tame that aggressiveness withbarrel agings and released the wine under the name Fumé Blanc as an allusion to the FrenchPouilly-Fumé.[15] The usage of the term is primarily amarketing base one with California wine makers choosing whichever name they prefer. Both oaked and unoaked Sauvignon blanc wines have been marketed under the name Fumé Blanc.[20] California Sauvignon blancs tend to fall into two styles. The New Zealand-influenced Sauvignon blanc have more grassy undertones with citrus and passion fruit notes. The Mondavi-influenced Fumé Blanc are more round with melon notes.[9]
Sauvignon blanc is also beginning to gain prominence in areas likeSouth Africa'sStellenbosch andDurbanville andItaly'sCollio Goriziano areas.[16] It is also one of the main ingredients inMuffato della Sala, one of Italy's most celebrated sweet wines.
Winemakers in New Zealand and Chile harvest the grapes at various intervals for the different blending characteristics that the grape can impart depending on its ripeness levels. At its most unripe stage, the grape is high inmalic acid. As it progresses further towards ripeness the grape developsred & green pepper flavors and eventually achieves a balance of sugars.[10] The flavors characteristic of Sauvignon blanc come from the chemicalsmethoxypyrazines. Grapes grown in Marlborough'sWairau Valley may exhibit different levels of ripeness over the vineyard, caused by slight unevenness in the land and giving a similar flavor profile to the resulting wine.
Sauvignon blanc can be greatly influenced by decisions in thewinemaking process. One decision is the amount of contact that themust has with the skins of the grape. In the early years of the New Zealand wine industry, there were no wineries in the South Island, which meant that freshly harvested grapes had to be trucked and then ferried to theNorth Island, often all the way up toAuckland. This allowed for prolonged exposure of the skins and juice which sharpened the intensity and pungency of the wine. Some winemakers, like the Loire, intentionally leave a small amount of must to spend some time in contact with the skin for later blending purposes. Other winemakers, like in California, generally avoid any contact with the skin due to the reduced aging ability of the resulting wine.[21]
Another important decision is the temperature offermentation. French winemakers prefer warmer fermentations (around 16–18 °C) that bring out the mineral flavors in the wine whileNew World winemakers prefer slightly cooler temperatures to bring out more fruit and tropical flavors. A small minority of Loire winemakers will put the wine throughmalolactic fermentation, a practice more often associated with New Zealand wines.[21] Oak aging can have a pronounced effect on the wine, with the oak rounding out the flavors and softening the naturally high acidity of the grape. Some winemakers, like those in New Zealand and Sancerre, prefer stainless steel fermentation tanks over barrels with the intention of maintaining the sharp focus and flavor intensity.[22]
Sauvignon blanc can be combined with a variety of dishes as it is an easy approachable wine. If we are looking for light meat, it can be suitable for chicken or turkey. Sauvignon blanc is also excellent for seafood such as lobster, squid, and so on. It is a perfect complement to soft cheeses such as feta, chevre or buffalo mozzarella. Also for vegetable dishes that contain eggplant or zucchini and spices such as thyme or bay leaves.[23]
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