:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/The-Best-33-Sauvignon-Blancs-from-Sancerre-to-New-Zealand-FT-BLOG0624-01-e6f963e7141a47ef96127391f4832c7b.jpg?w=1024&resize=1024,1024&ssl=1 "The 33 Best Sauvignon Blancs, from to")
Not long ago, we sent out a poll to Food & Wine readers and asked what their favorite white wine was. Generally, if you send out a poll with that question, the answers come in, the gears whir, and the vast machinery spits out an answer: Chardonnay. It’s been the most popular white wine variety in the U.S. for decades. However, F&W readers — a far-sighted, eclectic, original bunch to be sure — beg to differ. Your fave white grape? It’s Sauvignon Blanc.
And why not? Sauvignon Blanc is zingy and fresh; it does the jitterbug while Chardonnay is doing the waltz. In some places, New Zealand particularly, it takes on notes of cut grass and bell peppers (loved by many, loathed by some). In other places, it’s flinty and austere. In still others, it mellows into melon or mango notes.
Always, Sauvignon Blanc suggests citrus of one form or another — grapefruit, lemon, lime. It’s rarely aged in oak (though it can be) and rarely rich in style (though it can be). Done well, it’s got a kind of finger-snap zip that wakes up your palate, one reason that it’s also so good as an aperitif.
Almost every wine-producing country grows Sauvignon Blanc, though not necessarily all of them should. It isn’t a grape that does well in super-warm climates, where it loses its hallmark bright acidity and ends up pudgy in a weird way.
But there are plenty of places where it does brilliantly, from New Zealand to California to Chile to France. Some are surprising — Austria’s Styria, for example — and some are utterly classic, like France’s Loire Valley, home to the Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé appellations.
So here, Food & Wine fans, are 33 of the best Sauvignon Blancs to buy right now.
$20 or less
2022 Château Bonnet Sauvignon Blanc ($16)
Like many Bordeaux blancs, this zesty white blends Sauvignon Blanc with some Sémillon. It’s appealingly direct, with a kind of lemon-gumdrop character and a bright, tangy finish.
2023 Los Vascos Colchagua Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($15)
This Sauvignon, from the Chilean arm of France’s Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite, leans more toward the variety’s lime and grapefruit side, with fresh, lively flavors and a vivid finish.
What is French Sauvignon Blanc?
France’s most famed Sauvignon Blanc region is undoubtedly Sancerre, which appears on by-the-glass lists in what often seems like every restaurant in the U.S. But the variety is planted throughout the Loire Valley in appellations as well known as Pouilly Fumé and as little known (here, at least) as Menetou-Salon or Coteaux de Giennois. But don’t overlook the white wines of Bordeaux, either—here, Sauvignon is often blended with a percentage of Sémillon and aged in oak barrels, making for richer, more golden-fruited white wines.
2021 Montes Limited Selection Leyda Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($15)
People who love New Zealand Sauvignon will take to this cool-climate Chilean white immediately. (Those who don’t, well, be aware that it isn’t lacking in new-mown grass and green pepper notes.) It’s distinctive, and the tangy finish lasts and lasts.
2022 Lapostolle Grand Selection Sauvignon Blanc ($20)
Lapostolle is one of Chile’s benchmark wineries, producing impressive wines (and a lot of them) at prices ranging from the affordable to the super-pricey. This Sauvignon is a definite bargain, full of melon and lime notes, appealing and juicy.
2022 Hanna Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($20)
Longtime Hanna winemaker Jeff Hinchliffe blends fruit from 10 different vineyards for this stainless steel–fermented and –aged Sauvignon. It’s an appealingly pure expression of Russian River Valley Sauvignon, its flavors suggesting pomelos and green apples.
Food & Wine / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
$20 – $30
2022 Von Winning Lime Rift Sauvignon Blanc ($29)
Von Winning in Germany’s Pfalz region is a great Riesling producer, but they also make exceptional Sauvignon Blanc. It’s tingly on the palate, with a flavor that recalls pineapple oil (if there is such a thing) and a hint of herbaceousness. It made me think of a brass band on a summer day—possibly too far a metaphorical leap, but I’ll stand by it.
2022 Cantina Puiatti Sauvignon Blanc ($25)
No oak and fermentation solely with native yeasts results in a very pure expression of Sauvignon from this Friulian producer. The wine mingles melon and citrus flavors with a lightly herbal tomato leaf character; it’s finely balanced, and a steal for the price.
2022 Tement Kalk & Kreide Südsteiermark Sauvignon Blanc ($26)
Grapes from 55 different biodynamic vineyard parcels are blended for this perfumed, floral, Austrian Sauvignon Blanc. It’s tingly and chalky, with plenty of citrus notes and a hint of crunchy green papaya flavor (think of the classic Thai salad, minus the fiery chilies)
What is California Sauvignon Blanc?
California Sauvignon Blanc comes from all over the state, though there are a modest number of vines compared to, say, Chardonnay (four tons of Chardonnay are crushed for every one of Sauvignon Blanc). Generally speaking, California’s benevolent climate pushes Sauvignon toward a more rounded, often melony character; grassy and green pepper notes are much less common here than in New Zealand, for instance.
Also, a number of producers give their Sauvignons a percentage of oak-barrel aging; Robert Mondavi coined the term Fumé Blanc for the style back in 1968, a nod to the Pouilly Fumés of France’s Loire Valley. While prices for California Sauvignon Blancs have risen in recent years—sometimes alarmingly—there are still superb renditions of the variety out there that won’t break the bank.
2021 Alice Berthier Coteaux du Giennois Vins de Loire ($24)
U.S.-based importer Mary Taylor sources excellent, affordable wines from France, among them this pear- and lime-scented Sauvignon from vigneron Alice Berthier. The vineyards lie in the little known Coteaux du Giennois appellation, just north of Sancerre.
2022 Honig North Coast Sauvignon Blanc ($24)
The Honig family made Sauvignon Blanc their focus in 1980, when almost no one else was making it. The hitch was, that was because no one was buying Sauvignon Blanc. But they persevered, and today their Sauvignons—like this lively, citrus blossom–scented wine—are among California’s best.
$30 – $40
2022 Massican Sauvignon Blanc ($33)
Dan Petroski’s Massican wines focus on northern Italian varieties and wine styles despite being made in Napa Valley. This channels the savory, crystalline Sauvignons of Friuli through California’s climate, resulting in a tart white with flavors suggesting lemongrass and Meyer lemon.
2022 Talley Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc ($34)
Edna Valley’s Talley Vineyards made its name on excellent single-vineyard Chardonnays and Pinots, but the winery’s sole Sauvignon Blanc is a winner, too. It’s medium-bodied and pineapple-melony, with lime zest accents and enough zippy acidity to make it refreshing.
2021 Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($36)
Aging in older oak barrels allows this lemon verbena–scented Sauvignon to achieve a supple, creamy texture without taking on any oak flavors or aromas in the process. The flavors suggest Meyer lemon and mango, and linger appealingly.
What is New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc?
New Zealand rocketed into worldwide awareness for its utterly distinctive Sauvignon Blancs in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and today the variety represents about three-quarters of the wine made here, and fully 86% of what’s exported.
In early years, the style—peppery, herbal, grapefruit-and-gooseberry tart—was sometimes pushed to extremes, edging toward jalapeño pepper notes in some cases. Today, most producers have pulled back a bit on pyrazine levels (pyrazines are compounds in grape skins that can give herbaceous or even green pepper notes to a wine) but without sacrificing true New Zealand character.
2022 Domaine du Nozay Sancerre ($38)
Biodynamically grown grapes go into this floral, citrus-creamy Sancerre from vignerons Philippe and Marie-Hélène de Benoist. They’ve farmed organically since 2011 and biodynamically since 2017.
2022 Russiz Superiore Collio Sauvignon ($35)
Northern Italy makes some of the world’s most impressive Sauvignons, primarily from the hillside vineyards of Friuli. This one from vintner Marco Felluga is full of fresh citrus and lime zest, ending on a clear mineral note.
2021 Sattlerhof Gamlitz Sauvignon Blanc ($36)
This cuvée is named for the Sattler family’s hometown in Austria, where their vineyards are planted. It’s intensely aromatic, with lime blossom and delicate honey notes, and a stony finish. If you’ve never tried Austrian Sauvignon Blanc, seek it out.
Food & Wine / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
$40+
2022 Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc ($45)
Spottswoode has long been a benchmark Cabernet producer in Napa Valley, but the winery’s Sauvignon Blanc has seen almost equal acclaim over the years. It offers incredible purity of flavor, mingling citrus and tree fruits, with a long, grapefruit-zesty finish.
2022 Merry Edwards Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($48)
Made in a richer, riper style, this is a Sauvignon Blanc for Chardonnay lovers, even offering a hint of vanilla-spice from aging in 18% new French oak barrels. Merry Edwards was long known for single-vineyard Pinot Noirs, but the initial 2001 vintage of this wine’s success made it a mainstay for the winery.
2022 Lail Blueprint Sauvignon Blanc ($60)
Robin Lail’s Georgia bottling is arguably the best Sauvignon Blanc in California—a stellar wine, but a very pricey one ($170). Her Blueprint has a good share of the same complexity and layers of flavor, and while it isn’t inexpensive, it’s a beautiful wine (and 10% of online sales of their Blueprint wines go to organizations fighting climate change).
2022 Domaine Vacheron Sancerre Blanc ($53)
Vacheron is one of the greatest names in Sancerre. Complex layers of citrus, green apple and melon play here, ending on a peppery note; if you want a benchmark for your Sancerre education, this wine is it.
2022 Domaine Delaporte Sancerre Chavignol ($43)
Winemaker Matthieu Delaporte’s family has been making wine since the 1600s in the town of Chavignol in Sancerre. This is their flagship wine, full of elegant, lasting flavors that recall Bosc pears spritzed with lemon.
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