Although the wine market has been down in general, Sauvignon Blanc is one of the few varieties to see an increase in consumption recently. I want to explore 2 regions known for Sauvignon Blanc that might be a different style from what you’re used to.
Styles of Sauvignon Blanc
I’ve already explored Chilean and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc in this blog, and my guess is that these are the type of Sauvignon Blancs most people are drinking these days because they give you a lot of bang for your buck. Both Chile and New Zealand tend to produce a lot of bargain, dry, light but intense, crisp, and fruity but herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc.
These Sauvignon Blancs are generally all done with stainless steel, which means no oak or malolactic. They also spend little time on lees. This is why they are light, crisp and affordable while showing varietal fruit and green characteristics. In contrast, Chardonnay is often oaked with some malolactic giving it notes from the oak and more body.
However, there are other styles of Sauvignon Blanc due to different climate, terroir and winemaking. For example, there are 2 main styles in its original home in France. White Bordeaux is usually dominated by Sauvignon Blanc and undergoes oak fermentation and aging. On the other hand, the other famous French region for Sauvignon Blanc, the Loire Valley, generally has less or no oak influence. However, they tend to show more minerality and acidity. The two most famous appellations in the Loire for Sauvignon Blanc are Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. Besides being different stylistically from your everyday NZ and Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, most of these French ones are more expensive too.
Sauvignon Blanc, like other top French varieties, is made all around the world. Like Cabernet Sauvignon (a child of Sauvignon Blanc), it grows well in many places. I’m focusing on 2 places that have some notoriety for Sauvignon Blanc but also different styles from the light, crisp versions from NZ.
California vs. Austria
California is one of the biggest producers of Sauvignon Blanc, and it makes sense that producers investing so much in red Bordeaux varieties also invested in a white Bordeaux variety. It’s currently the 4th most planted grape in the state. At first, it was made in an unoaked, light and crisp style similar to NZ Sauvignon Blanc. Yet, it was Robert Mondavi, the godfather of Napa wines, who started to use oak with it. He also branded California Sauvignon Blanc as Fumé Blanc in 1968, in reference to Pouilly-Fumé in the Loire. Nowadays, you find the label Fumé Blanc less and less or you see it with the name Sauvignon Blanc included to try to capture the old market who knew Fumé Blanc and those who are more familiar with NZ Sauvignon Blanc. Today, both styles can be found in California: rounder with oak vs. crisper with green and/or minerally notes. Others are experimenting with skin-contact or making Bordeaux blends with Semillon.
Although it’s more difficult to find internationally, Austrian Sauvignon Blanc has a strong reputation among wine connoisseurs for quality, but a lot less is produced compared to California. Like California, it’s not uncommon to age it in oak in Austria, but the climate is certainly cooler and wetter. That being said, one can find different styles of Sauvignon Blanc in Austria depending on the region, producer and cuvee. Sauvignon Blanc was brought to Austria in the 19th century and is grown in Niederösterreich, Burgenland and Steiermark (Styria). The latter produces the most and is most famous for making high quality varietal versions.
I have a lot more experience with California Sauvignon Blanc than Austrian, so when I found an Austrian Sauvignon Blanc, I thought it’d be a good exercise to compare it with a well-known California Sauvignon Blanc. I ended up trying a Sauvignon Blanc at a tasting in Napa, so I’m going to include tasting notes from that one too.
Tasting Notes
2021 Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc North Coast
This is a well-known producer in Napa with wide distribution. I saw this bottle in Costco and supermarkets. They’ve been making this style of Sauvignon Blanc since 1982, so it’s classic Napa Sauvignon Blanc although now they source from other areas outside of Napa in addition to their estate Napa Sauvignon Blanc with a bit of Semillon (7%) like in Bordeaux. Thus, it’s labeled North Coast now. The grapes were 54% Sonoma County, 45% Napa Valley, 1% Mendocino. Fermentation & aging: 92% stainless steel, 8% new French oak. Aged 5 months sur lie.
Screw-cap. This wine has ripe melon and tropical fruit with a bit of savory notes and vanilla. It has a creamy fuller feel compared to most Sauvignon Blanc (i.e. NZ style Sauvignon Blanc). Although most of it is aged in stainless steel, 8% is aged in new oak with 5 months on lees. That’s what gives this wine more body and creaminess, but I still want more acidity. It’s medium acid at best, but for me it lacks the crispness I like in Sauvignon Blanc. If you don’t like the green notes of Sauvignon Blanc, then perhaps you’d like this better, but I like those characteristics at least to a certain level. 88
2017 Erich & Walter Polz Sauvignon Blanc Ried Czamillonberg Steiermark Austria
This producer is located in South Styria. Ried means vineyard, so I guess this is a single vineyard.
Screw-top. Sauvignon Blanc with 10% Semillon. 40 year old vines on calcareous marl soils. Vinified in large used wooden barrels with native yeasts. Spends some months on lees. No battonage or racking.
Savory nose. The palate has a bit more body with a creamy, yogurty side from the time on lees. Good acidity still though. Ripe white fruit. A bit of spice on the backend (oak?) and a touch of oxidative notes given the age. More body than most SB. Oilier feel. Sort of reminds me of good Austrian Gruner too. More complex than most Sauvignon Blanc. Probably best to drink now if you prefer primary notes in your white. 92
2022 Frog’s Leap Sauvignon Blanc Concrete Aged Rutherford
This producer is known for making an elegant, fresher, and more classic style of Napa wines. They practice sustainable and organic dry farming, which is not that common in California. I’ll leave some photos of my tasting there too in case you’d like to visit when you’re in the area but don’t want big, blockbuster fruit bombs. Plus, the tasting fee and prices for the wines are relatively cheap given the price of Napa wines and tastings these days.
This cuvee is only available through the winery. Only 1,100 cases were made. 9 months in concrete eggs with lees contact. Unfiltered.
Savory spice and citrus. Medium creamy body. More body than average SB. Acidity. Salinity. Touch floral. Keeps the freshness and characteristics of SB while having more body and complexity from the lees rather than oak. 91
Conclusion
All these Sauvignon Blanc have time with lees and wood, which give them more body and tamed herbaceous notes. If you’re turned off by the green notes in Sauvignon Blanc and want more body and roundness, then these might be more up your alley although they’re not Chardonnay either. The oak influence is not strong on any of them, and two of them maintain the typical acidity.
In the big picture, I’d definitely try more Austrian Sauvignon Blanc. Even if it’s oaked to a certain degree, the cooler climate helps to keep the acidity up. With California Sauvignon Blanc, it depends on the producer. Despite recent trends, there are still California producers who emphasize roundness, oak and ripeness over acidity since a lot of their longtime clients still want that, so it’s a less safe bet for me who craves high-acid, minerally wines.
Tasting Sauvignon Blanc at Frog’s Leap
