Grape · Loire Valley, France
Sauvignon Blanc
soh-vee-NYOHN BLAHN
Cut grass and citrus snap
Aromatic, high-acid, and instantly recognizable. Sauvignon Blanc is the grape of Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé, and Marlborough.
- grapefruit
- gooseberry
- boxwood
- passion fruit
- flint
Profile
In Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé it is more flint, citrus, and Loire chalk than tropical fruit. Marlborough turned the volume up: passion fruit, tomato leaf, and a pungency that made the grape a weeknight staple. Bordeaux blends it with Sémillon for dry whites and Sauternes.
Methoxypyrazines give the green notes; thiols give the passion fruit. Ripeness and harvest date decide which wins. Oak is usually a mistake; a little barrel on Loire or Napa examples can add weight.
Drink young, cold, with goat cheese, oysters, and herb-heavy salads. It is a poor match for steak and a brilliant match for asparagus — a rare trick.
At the table
Service
45–48 °F (7–9 °C) in a narrow white glass. Do not cellar most bottles past 3 years.
