Chances are you’ve bought a bottle of sauvignon blanc in the past two weeks. You might have one cooling in your refrigerator, ready for you to open and start sipping.
This isn’t just random speculation on my part.
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WineBusiness Monthly reports that sauvignon blanc was the sole varietal of the top 10 sold by retailers to show growth last year in both sales value (up 6%) and volume (up almost 2%). Wine.com, America’s largest online wine retailer—which traded $205 million worth, or just over 6.5 million bottles, last year—lists more than 600 different vintage specific bottlings of sauvignon blanc at any one time, says chief executive officer Mike Osborn. The varietal’s share of all Wine.com sales stands at nearly 8%, just below pinot noir, with half of it from New Zealand.
The grape’s popularity reflects a global passion for light, refreshing white wine with tongue-tingling acidity and a crisp, bright, herb-and-citrus personality. Think clean, green and springlike.
New Zealand’s exports of sauvignon blanc surged nearly 20% in volume for the year ending June 2023, with about a quarter going to the US. Wineries on six continents—including some surprising regions—are now pumping out fresh sauvignon blanc to cash in on surging demand.
In Washington state, where reds rule the vineyards, the amount of sauvignon blanc sold grew by 54% in 2022, according to the 2023 grape production report. Acreage in Oregon, land of pinot noir, has more than doubled in the past five years; in Germany, it grew 177% from 2011 to 2021. Austria’s Steiermark and Italy’s Friuli are hot production regions, and the Czech Republic, Moldova and Japan have entered the running.
Already, the wine’s style is trending beyond the confines of the sauvignon blanc we all know and so many love. Novel sauvignon blanc vintages are aiming for a more subtle, complex and serious character built on fermentation and barrel ageing.
Price points, too, have expanded. They now range from $10 to $12 for such good, basic, everyday vino as Chile’s Veramonte Organic Reserva to a growing luxury tier of examples like Pavillon Blanc de Château Margaux at $360 per bottle. The rare Screaming Eagle white fetches almost $4 000.
France remains the world’s biggest producer, led by the Loire Valley. The latest trend in popular Sancerre is for more expensive single-vineyard whites; neighbouring Pouilly-Fumé and Touraine generally offer better values.
In Bordeaux, the grape is often blended with semillon to create a richer, rounder style. Increasing numbers of cru classé châteaux are adding examples to their lineups, such as the new one from Château Cheval Blanc in Saint-Emilion. (See my list of top bottles below.)
New Zealand, which decades ago rocketed to second place in global production, can barely keep up with demand for its unique, herbaceous “Savvy.” Frost in 2021 and further problematic weather reduced the 2022 vintage crop, curbing supply.
Chile ranks third with a combination of soil research, cooler locations, new clones and organic viticulture making the wines better than ever, as I saw on a recent visit.
And let’s not forget California, whose vine acreage of sauvignon blanc doubled in 2022.
High-end wineries in Sonoma and Napa are adding richer, barrel-fermented, barrel-aged versions that are more expensive (although Sonoma’s cost less). They’re best consumed with food, not in casual sipping. I find that only a handful are worth more than $100, especially when you consider that such long-time classics as elegant Spottswoode and seductive Gamble Family Vineyards can be gotten for $50 or less. Happily, the sale of top sauvignon maker Massican to Gallo last year ensures that its superb $30 bottles will be more available.
Get ready, then, to enjoy International Sauvignon Blanc Day on May 6. The annual event, established in 2010 as a marketing ploy, presents a good excuse to try what’s new.
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10 New Sauvignon Blancs to Discover
2023 Kumusha Western Cape ($20/ R380.08)
The grape is thriving in South Africa. Renowned sommelier Tinashe Nyamudoka launched his first sauvignon blanc five years ago. The 2023 vintage is light, zippy, fresh and fruit-forward.
2022 Smith & Sheth CRU Wairau Sauvignon Blanc ($28/ R532.11)
New Zealand viticulturalist and winemaker Steve Smith and Texas billionaire Brian Sheth recently created a negociant brand that buys grapes from top vineyards. This lip-smacking, racy, yet refined example was selected for the prestigious Appellation Marlborough Collection for 2023.
2022 Weingut von Winning Sauvignon Blanc Lime Rift ($28/ R532.11)
In addition to rieslings, the venerable Weingut von Winning winery makes several terrific sauvignon blancs in Germany. This second vintage of a new bottling is intense and lime-scented, midway in style between the bright, mineral, entry-level wine and its richer, barrel-aged example.
2022 Clos Henri Otira Glacial Stones Single Vineyard ($31/ R589.12)
Clos Henri, a French-owned biodynamic estate in New Zealand, introduced a fresh range of single-vineyard wines in the 2021 vintage. With layers of wet stone and citrus flavors, this sophisticated cuvée reminds me of a mineral-driven Sancerre. It’s positively svelte.
2022 Domaine Bailly-Reverdy Pouilly-Fumé ($34/ R646.13)
A domaine known for classic Sancerre wines recently added a chiseled, precise Pouilly-Fumé with aromas of cut grass and mouth-watering acidity.
2022 Monroy Kick Ranch Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc ($34/ R646.13)
This brand-new, jasmine-scented, citrus and mineral-toned, creamy textured wine from Sonoma is made entirely from the special sauvignon blanc musqué clone that’s enjoying a revival in California.
2019 Alexandre Bain Pierre Precieuse Vin de France ($41/ R779.15)
An untraditional Pouilly-Fumé labeled Vin de France, this exciting, golden-colored, biodynamic sauvignon blanc is new to the US. It combines depth, richness and edgy acidity with vibrant fruit.
The 2020 Château Brane-Cantenac Blanc ($65/ R1235.25)
What stands out for me in the second vintage of this predominantly sauvignon blanc blend, from a top château in Margaux, are the bright notes of ginger and lemon.
2021 Ink Grade Sauvignon Blanc ($75/ R1425.28)
Think of this new Napa white as sauvignon blanc for chardonnay lovers. The biodynamic Howell Mountain vineyard (owned by Lawrence Wine Estates) gave its name to a new winery. The third vintage of this layered, complex, food-friendly white is the best yet.
2021 Château Cheval Blanc Le Petit Cheval Blanc ($122/ R2318.46)
Saint-Emilion’s famous Château Cheval Blanc debuted a tiny amount of this stunning blend of 80% sauvignon blanc and 20% Semillon in 2016, but it was difficult to obtain until a couple of years ago. It’s silky, complex and intensely aromatic.
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