No, sorry, I was kidding. Truth be told, SB really isn’t my favorite grape variety - far from it. While I do love the freshness that comes from the zippy acidity and often relatively light body typical of the variety, most of the varietal SB wines are pretty much caricatures to me. I typically have no problems with vegetal flavors, but usually they lie in the spectrum of capsicum and general leafy greenness; SB on the other hand often is made in a style that deliberately accentuates those vegetal flavors that can range from cucumber and canned asparagus to tomato leaves and cut grass - once that gets combined with exotic fruit flavors like passion fruit and guava, we have a mélange that is pretty much all over the place and not really to my liking.
However, in deft hands the variety can be made into wines that are not only fully enjoyable, but also can be wonderfully complex and very interesting - in the positive sense of the word. Some wines embrace the quirky, often rather herbaceous nature of the variety, while others try to downplay the greener nuances as far as possible without trying to mask any other varietal qualities in the process. I’ve tasted enough to know there are some excellent examples in both the styles as well as some less successful ones.
So long story short: we had a Sauvignon Blanc blind tasting last spring. I wasn’t that keen on attending, seeing how I’m not the biggest fan of the variety, but then again, I was aware that there are some actually quite terrific SBs out there as well. So I went in the hopes that all the wines wouldn’t be just banal asparagus bombs. Fortunately, I was positively surprised by the results!
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2016 von Winning Sauvignon Blanc I - Germany, Pfalz (8.3.2022)
Most of the fruit for this wine is sourced from the Deidesheimer Paradiesgarten vineyard. Fermented in oak, aged on its lees in oak barrels for a year. 13% alcohol. Tasted blind in a Sauvignon Blanc tasting.
Pale yellow-green color. Ripe, somewhat sweet-toned and not that obviously Sauvignon Blanc-ish nose with quite attractive aromas of honeyed richness, candied notes of gummi bears, a little bit of pineapple, light nuances of beeswax, a hint of papaya and a touch of golden currant. The wine is ripe and somewhat concentrated yet still surprisingly crisp on the palate with a medium body and intense flavors of sharp Granny Smith apple, juicy nectarine, some honeyed tones, a little bit of papaya, light bitter nuances of grapefruit and a hint of creaminess. The pronounced lemony acidity lends great intensity and sense of structure to the wine. The finish is sharp, dry and acid-driven with a lengthy aftertaste of lemony citrus fruits and tart Granny Smith apple, some pithy grapefruit notes, a little bit of steely minerality, light creamy nuances and a hint of savory wood spice.
A balanced, zippy Sauvignon Blanc that combines good ripeness, rich tropical fruits and sense of concentration to surprisingly brisk acidity and incisive steely minerality. Especially towards the end of the aftertaste I started wondering whether this wine had seen some oak, but this was nowhere near as oaky as some von Winning wines have been in the past. All in all, the wine shows great sense of intensity and balance, but due to its still surprisingly youthful and very high-strung overall character, I'd say this wine really could use some additional aging. Priced according to its quality at approx. 20€.
(90 points) -
2011 von Winning Sauvignon Blanc I - Germany, Pfalz (8.3.2022)
Most of the fruit for this wine is sourced from the Deidesheimer Paradiesgarten vineyard. Fermented in oak, aged on its lees in oak barrels for a year. 12,5% alcohol. Tasted blind in a Sauvignon Blanc tasting.
Medium-deep yellow-green color. Dull and somewhat reticent nose with slightly stuffy aromas of stone dust, some damp wool, a little bit of ripe green currant, light appley tones, a hint of cucumber, a touch of chalky minerality and a whiff of canned asparagus. The wine is dry, restrained and a bit underwhelming on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and quite low-key flavors of tart green apples, pithy citrus fruit bitterness, some woolly tones, a little bit of creamy oak, light steely mineral tones, a leafy hint of currant leaf and a touch of passion fruit. The rather high acidity lends good sense of freshness to the wine. The finish is dull and somewhat closed with medium-long flavors of lemony citrus fruits, some sharp notes of fresh Granny Smith apple, a little bit of woolly lanolin, light steely mineral tones and a hint of creamy oak.
I remember how this wine was very awkward and unbalanced in its youth (my TN in April 2014) with its combination of pronounced reductive smoke and rather dominant woody oak on top of somewhat grassy, green fruit department. Well, over the course of 8 years the wine has lost its reductive qualities and the oak characteristics have integrated quite well with the fruit, but unfortunately the fruit has faded surprisingly much as well, leaving behind a very understated white wine with a somewhat dull, woolly overall character. Although the wine is more balanced and integrated, one could argue that the wine has evolved in the right direction, but even then I really can't say this is a particularly memorable or interesting wine. At approx. 20€ this really wasn't worth the price.
(85 points) -
2019 Clos du Tue-Boeuf Touraine Le Buisson Pouilleux - France, Loire Valley, Touraine (8.3.2022)
100% organically farmed Sauvignon Blanc. In some vintages this is labeled as AOC Touraine, in others just Vin de France; in 2019 this label was Vin de France. Buisson Pouillex is a 1,1-hectare vineyard consisting of two parcels, one planted in 1950 and the other in 1964. About half of the wines are still original, the other half already replanted, so the average vineyard age is about 35 years old. The wine is fermented spontaneously, macerated with the skins for 1-2 days in open-top oak fermentors, then pressed. Aged on the lees in old Burgundy oak barrels for 12 months. Bottled without any fining or filtration with no to minimal sulfites (depending to the vintage). This wine has received 13 mg/l SO2 and has 14,15% alcohol. Tasted blind in a Sauvignon Blanc tasting.
Slightly hazy pale yellow appearance. The nose feels moderately wild and slightly funky with somewhat green nuances of birch leaves, some lifted notes of VA, a little bit of mango, light leesy tones, a hint of sharp Granny Smith apple and a touch of fresh peach. The wine feels broad, somewhat oily and a bit concentrated on the palate, but also very slightly prickly at first with a touch of CO2. There are flavors of ripe peach and sweet apple jam, some honeydew melon, light leesy tones, a little bit of steely minerality, a hint of apple peel bitterness and a touch of volatile lift. The moderately high acidity keeps the wine nicely in balance. The finish is ripe and juicy but also moderately wild with flavors of sweet peach and honeydew melon, some cantaloupe, a little bit of acetic VA, light volatile notes of nail polish, a hint of leesy yeast and a touch of sharp Granny Smith apple.
A wild and even somewhat heavy but at the same time surprisingly fresh and wonderfully characterful Touraine white that is definitely sauvage and rather lifted in character, yet remarkably balanced at that. I managed to guess immediately that this was a Clos du Tue-Boeuf white, because the wine seemed so similar to the Clos duTue-Boeuf Menu Pineau white we had a few months earlier. It's hard to see whether this wine will improve from here or just keep, but I don't see any reasons why this wine would fall apart anytime soon. Enjoyable naturalist stuff. Priced according to its quality at 22€.
(91 points) -
2017 Tement Sauvignon Blanc Erste Lage STK Graßnitzberg - Austria, Styria (8.3.2022)
Sauvignon Blanc from the Grassnitzberg vineyard planted in the 1950's. Fermented spontaneously, aged for 24 months in old, neutral oak casks. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 12,5% alcohol, 1,5 g/l residual sugar. The acidity seems to vary according to the sources, ranging from 7,0 to 8,9 g/l, so hard to say what is the actual number in this vintage. Tasted blind in a Sauvignon Blanc tasting.
Clear, pale yellow-green color. Somewhat closed nose with slightly flatulent notes of reduction dominating soon after opening; with some air the nose starts to exhibit nuances of cantaloupe, some notes of hay, a little bit of salty ocean air, light tropical notes of fresh passion fruit and a hint of woolly lanolin. The wine is zippy yet somewhat concentrated on the palate with a medium body and focused flavors of lemony citrus fruits, some mineral notes of stone dust, a little bit of grapefruit, light tangy notes of salinity, an incisive hint of steely character and a sweeter touch of mango. The overall feel is very precise and high-strung, thanks to the high acidity. The finish is crisp and refreshing with rather long flavors of lemony citrus fruits, some apple peel bitterness, a little bit of tangy salinity, light sweeter notes of exotic fruits and a hint of woolly lanolin.
A very focused and promising Styrian Sauvignon Blanc that feels somewhat closed and underwhelming at the moment, thanks to its still a bit reductive nature. I enjoyed the very fresh and precise overall nature of the wine that showed the classic acid-driven qualities of Sauvignon Blanc without getting any of the vegetal notes of currant leaves or canned asparagus that often stick out like a sore thumb in an otherwise decent wine. For immediate consumption the wine feels perhaps a bit too young, nervous and reduced, but I have no doubts this wine will continue to improve for years more. If opened now, the wine really calls for good aeration just to blow off the reduction. Perhaps a bit on the pricey side now at 27€, but if the wine continues to evolve and open up with age, the wine will be worth its price.
(88 points) -
2014 Caves de Pouilly sur Loire Pouilly-Fumé Tonelum - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Pouilly-Fumé (8.3.2022)
12,5% alcohol. Tasted blind in a Sauvignon Blanc tasting.
Slightly evolved medium-deep yellow-green color. The nose is textbook Sauvignon Blanc with its rather vegetal aromas of chopped asparagus stalks, some green notes of currant leaves, light grassy notes of mowed lawn, a little bit of ripe red apple, an exotic hint of passion fruit and a touch of chopped herbs. The wine is bright, silky yet firm and slightly concentrated on the palate with a medium body and focused flavors of fresh golden apple, some zesty citrus fruit notes, a little bit of grassy greenness, light herbaceous notes of currant leaves, a hint of ripe golden currants and a sweeter touch of tropical fruits. The wine is enjoyably brisk and structured, thanks to its high acidity. The finish is crisp, long and acid-driven with ripe and somewhat concentrated flavors of juicy lemon-driven citrus fruits, some appley tones, a little bit of ripe golden currant, light vegetal notes of asparagus and green hints of cut grass and herby spices.
I normally find green-toned, vegetal Sauvignon Blancs somewhat disagreeable, but even though this wine was as green as Sauvignon Blancs can come, I still enjoyed it immensely, thanks to its counterpoint of good ripeness and sense of concentration brought by cellar age. Although aromatically there were some green nuances, the wine never came across as aggressively vegetal, but instead very harmonious and balanced. The overall impression was that of a young wine, so I can imagine this wine will continue to improve for years more, even if it is perfectly drinkable already now. A terrific example of a well-made co-op white from a great vintage. Recommended.
(91 points) -
2019 Domaine Gerovassiliou Sauvignon Blanc - Greece, Macedonia, Epanomi (8.3.2022)
The fruit is harvested from several different Sauvignon Blanc blocks in Epanomi. Cold-soaked with the skins prior to the fermentation. Fermented in oak barrels, aged on the lees for a few months. 13,5% alcohol. Tasted blind in a Sauvignon Blanc tasting.
Pale lime-green color. Very characterful, open and expressive nose with attractive aromas of pineapple soda, some grapefruit juice, a little bit of honeyed richness, light exotic notes of passion fruit, a floral hint of roses and a touch of herby greenness. The wine is firm, bright and crunchy on the palate with a medium body and ripe yet dry flavors of juicy lemons, some zesty notes of grapefruit, light floral notes of violets and rose petals, a little bit of steely minerality, an exotic hint of tart passion fruit and a sweeter touch of honey. The high acidity lends great sense of focus and structure to the wine. The finish is fresh and acid-driven with a long, mouth-cleansing aftertaste of sharp Granny Smith apple and tart lemony citrus fruit, some passion fruit notes, light floral nuances of rosewater and violets, a little bit of mango, a hint of steely minerality and a touch of cantaloupe.
A characterful and distinctively floral Sauvignon Blanc that shows good sense of ripeness, yet very little sweetness of fruit, emphasizing acid-driven fruit flavors and steely minerality instead. With its almost rosy floral nuances, at times the wine feels as though there was a tiny bit of Gewurztraminer or Moschofilero in the blend, but from what I understood, this is 100% Sauvignon Blanc. No matter if it is or isn't, this is a very lovely and harmonious white wine all the same. Maybe not that true to the variety, but as I'm not the biggest fan of Sauvignon Blanc, I really don't mind. Superb stuff, highly recommended if you love aromatic whites.
(93 points) -
2015 Domaine Pascal Cotat Sancerre Les Monts Damnés - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre (8.3.2022)
Pascal Cotat harvests his Sauvignon Blanc grapes much later than most other producers in the region, aiming for optimum ripeness instead of the vegetal green aromatics more typical of Sauvignon Blanc grapes harvested earlier. Fermented spontaneously in old, neutral oak, aged for at least a year in old tonneaux and demi-muids. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 13,5% alcohol. Tasted blind in a Sauvignon Blanc tasting.
Pale, almost colorless whitish-green color. Surprisingly restrained nose with rather underwhelming aromas of ripe green apples, some oceanic notes of salty sea breeze, light mineral notes of stone dust, a little bit of grassy greenness, a hint of wool and a touch of sappy herbal spice. The wine is surprisingly ripe, broad and even slightly oily on the palate with a moderately full body and ripe flavor of mealy yellow apples, some woolly notes of lanolin, a little bit of saline minerality, light tropical notes of mango and a hint of chalk dust. The medium-to-moderately high acidity feels surprisingly modest for a Loire Sauvignon. The finish is ripe yet dry with somewhat reticent flavors of juicy red apple, some white peach, a little bit of chalky minerality, light woolly notes and a hint of aromatic green herbs.
A nice, sophisticated and pretty harmonious Sancerre that is quite ripe (as is typical of Cotat), but at the same time the wine feels aromatically surprisingly restrained and underwhelming - even after a good deal of aeration - and quite soft and plush, probably thanks to the rather solar vintage that has resulted in wines with relatively modest levels of acidity. Sure, the wine has high enough acidity to keep it in quite well balance, but I prefer my Sauvignon Blancs to show more zip and freshness than this does. Many tasters (me included) were surprised to learn that a wine this soft and restrained turned out to be a Cotat. I hope we just caught the wine in a dumb phase, because it didn't really manage to leave a particularly lasting impression in our lineup of +10 Sauvignon Blancs all over the world.
(87 points) -
2012 Cantina Terlan Sauvignon Terlano Quarz - Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Terlano (8.3.2022)
100% Sauvignon Blanc from vineyards around 300 to 550 m ASL. Aged on the lees in old, large oak casks (50%) and stainless steel tanks (50%) for 9 months. Blended together and left to marry for another 3 months prior to bottling. 14% alcohol, 2,9 g/l residual sugar, 6,2 g/l acidity. Tasted blind in a Sauvignon Blanc tasting.
Youthful yellow-green appearance. The nose feels ripe and juicy with vibrant aromas of pineapple and passion fruit, some stony mineral tones, a little bit of beeswax, light crunchy notes of fresh red apple and a sappy hint of green aromatic herbs. The wine is ripe, concentrated and rather substantial on the palate with a quite full body and intense flavors of Golden Delicious apple, some crunchy notes of fresh pineapple, a little bit of leesy richness, light acacia honey tones, a hint of steely minerality and a sweeter touch of ripe nectarine. The high acidity keeps big body effortlessly together and lends terrific sense of structure and precision to the wine while the high alcohol lends a little bit of warmth to the palate. The finish is ripe, juicy and slightly warm with lengthy flavors of ripe pineapple, some steely mineral tones, a little bit of apple jam, a little bit of ripe golden currant, a hint of sweet apricot and a sappy touch of herby spice.
A rather substantial Sauvignon Blanc that seemed somewhat bigger than most of the wines we tasted in the tasting, yet not lacking one bit in freshness, structure or precision - on the contrary, this seemed more brighter and balanced than many of the lighter wines we had! Furthermore, the wine really didn't seem to exhibit much if any aged qualities despite its almost 10 years of age, which speaks volumes about the aging potential of these Cantina Terlan whites. This is a superb wine already now, but I can imagine this will only get better with further bottle age. Highly recommended, if you don't mind your Sauvignon Blancs having some extra weight and power.
(92 points) -
2003 Henri Bourgeois Sancerre La Chapelle des Augustins - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre (8.3.2022)
12,5% alcohol. Tasted blind in a Sauvignon Blanc tasting.
Evolved, medium-deep golden color with subtly greenish highlights. Dull, musty nose with aromas of wet cardboard, some mildewy aromas of water-damaged house and an evolved hint of honeyed richness. The wine feels noticeably ripe, round and concentrated on the palate with a medium body and somewhat dull flavors of stony minerality, some dusty attic, a little bit of mildew and a faint hint of lemony citrus. The acidity feels medium-to-moderately high. The finish is short and dull with flavors of dusty earth and wet cardboard.
Corked. And obviously a very ripe wine.
(NR/flawed) -
2017 Alexandre Bain Pouilly-Fumé Mademoiselle M - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Pouilly-Fumé (8.3.2022)
100% biodynamically farmed Sauvignon Blanc from Pouilly-Fumé, harvested at peak ripeness, much later than when other producers in the region harvest. Both viticulture and vinifications adhere to minimum-interventionist philosophy. The wine is fermented spontaneously and aged for at least 18 months in old oak barrels - longer if the spontaneous MLF hasn't finished by then. Bottled unfined, unfined and without any added sulfites. Labeled as Vin de France, not Pouilly-Fumé. 13% alcohol. Tasted blind in a Sauvignon Blanc tasting.
Very slightly hazy lemon-yellow appearance. Somewhat waxy and a bit wild nose with subtly funky aromas of tropical fruits like sweet pineapple and passion fruit, some smoky notes of phenolic spice, a little bit of honeyed richness, light bruised apple tones, a subtly acetic hint of VA and a touch of orange marmalade - perhaps a bit of botrytis here? The wine is broad, concentrated and quite substantial on the palate with a full body and intense, slightly sauvage flavors of spicy minerality and ripe, zesty citrus fruits, some tangy saline notes, a little bit of sorrel, light aldehydic nuances reminding me of Fino Sherry, a hint of ripe pineapple and a touch of bruised apple. The wine is surprisingly high in acidity for such a big and ripe wine. The finish is rich, powerful and remarkably long with complex flavor of tangy salinity and stony minerality, some honeyed tones, a little bit of sorrel, light aldehydic notes of green almonds, a hint of wizened apricot and a touch of smoky phenolic character.
A fascinating, very ripe and powerful Pouilly-Fumé that manages to retain surprisingly well its sense of freshness and structure. The wine is slightly on the natty side, but not by much - this isn't a weird or funky wine, just very atypical for the region or the variety. However, based on the subtly aldehydic nuances I get the feeling that either this bottle or this vintage wasn't made to age - I've had some earlier vintages of Bain wines and while they've been definitely on the wild side, they've not had these green sherried tones. While I'm a bit worried how this wine will evolve in the future, this is a pretty superb wine at the moment. The aldehydic nuances take a small toll on the score, but this is nevertheless a very distinctive and enjoyable effort for a Pouilly-Fumé Sauvignon. Priced according to its quality at 36€.
(91 points) -
2006 Weingut Gross Sauvignon Blanc Privat - Austria, Styria, Südsteiermark (8.3.2022)
A special bottling of Weingut Gross's Sauvignon Blanc made only in exceptional vintages. Selected bunches from old (+40 yo) vineyards are left to shrivel and turn overripe on the vine before harvest. The grapes are fermented spontaneously in oak barrels and then aged for 18 months in barriques. Often the wine doesn't ferment to full dryness, but instead the wine finishes slightly off-dry. After aging in barriques, the wine is blended together and aged in stainless steel tanks, then bottled and released only after several years of bottle aging. 14,5% alcohol. Tasted blind in a Sauvignon Blanc tasting.
Concentrated, deep burnished golden yellow color. Very powerful, rich and concentrated nose with somewhat oak-driven aromas of honey, ripe golden currants, some creamy oak, light oaky notes of caramel and vanilla, a little bit of green currant leaf character, a sweet hint of apple jam and a developed touch of beeswax. The wine feels big, ripe and concentrated on the palate with a noticeably full body and rich flavors of ripe peach, savory wood spice, some honeyed tones, a little bit of vanilla, light sweet notes of apple jam, an exotic hint of papaya and a touch of caramel oak. The high alcohol lends some obvious warmth to the palate and the overall feel is somewhat oily and quite heavy due to the rather modest medium-plus acidity. The finish is rich, somewhat sweet and perhaps off-dry with persistent, powerful flavors of apple jam, almost overripe apricot, some savory wood spice, a little bit of vanilla, light oaky notes of caramel and toasty character, a hint of ripe Golden Delicious apple and a touch of beeswax. The high alcohol makes the wine end on a moderately warm note.
I had no idea where we were with this wine, as it was very much unlike any Sauvignon Blanc I've had before. Based on the noticeable ripeness and rather liberal use of oak, my guess was a Californian Fumé Blanc, but apparently I was way off. This is a real powerhouse of a wine where the varietal characteristics of Sauvignon Blanc get pretty much overwhelmed by the noticeable ripeness and rather pronounced oak influence. However, the wine was quite impressive and wonderfully complex for such a big wine, and the overall feel was remarkably youthful for the age - I guessed the wine couldn't have been older than 10 yo, so I guessed 2013. Wrong again. All in all, this is not my kind of wine in any way - this is sort of "white wine for Amarone drinkers" - but it is very impressive and well-made for what it is. Recommended if you like your wines huge in every way. One can argue whether this is worth the 59€, but I guess there's very little competition for these kinds of wines, so I guess it is correctly priced, if you can't find wines like this at lower prices!
(90 points) -
1991 Renaissance Sauvignon Blanc Estate Bottled Select Late Harvest - USA, California, Sierra Foothills, North Yuba (8.3.2022)
13% alcohol. Lot 040395, which might mean that the wine was bottled in the spring of 1995.
Evolved pale bronze color. Rich, sweet and moderately tertiary nose with aromas of maple syrup, some oxidative caramel tones, a little bit of apple jam, light smoky notes, a hint of Sultana raisin and a touch of nuttiness. The wine is rich, sweet and oily on the palate with a medium body and mellow flavors of apple jam, some oxidative nutty tones, a little bit of maple syrup, light raisiny notes of Sultanas, a hint floral lift and a touch of strawberry jam. The medium acidity keeps the wine somewhat in balance. With the oxidative nuances, the overall feel reminds me of a lighter, less alcoholic Tawny Port. The lengthy finish is rich, sweet and juicy with complex, evolved flavors of honey and caramel, some apple jam, a little bit of maple syrup, light oxidative notes of roasted nuts, a hint of burnt sugar bitterness and a touch of Sultana raisins.
A delightful, rich and tasty late harvest Sauvignon Blanc that drinks like a Tawny Port that is lighter in body and alcohol, but not in sweetness or intensity. I guess this must've been quite vibrant and fruity in its youth, but now the overall feel here is quite mature and oxidative - yet the wine doesn't feel like it is in decline in any way! Although the wine could use a bit more acidity, it has nevertheless kept on going remarkably well, and even though I don't expect the wine to improve any further from here, most likely it will keep just fine for years more. Terrific stuff, highly recommended.
(93 points)
Posted from CellarTracker