Talk-A-Vino

This post was supposed to be written last year… And then I almost made it in time for the Sauvignon Blanc day which was celebrated two days ago, on May 6th. Well, it is definitely a “better late than never” post, so for what it worth, let’s dive into it…

Today, friends, we are going to talk about Sauvignon Blanc.

If I would just “shoot from the hip”, Sauvignon Blanc doesn’t stand up as a grape with tremendous clout. Yes, it is one of the three major white wine grapes, along with Chardonnay and Riesling. And yet if there were a grape popularity contest, I would guess the championship would be decided between Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Of course, Pinot and Syrah would-be contenders, but I still think the former two are really at the top of wine lovers’ minds.

But let’s take a closer look at Sauvignon Blanc. There is hardly a wine region in the world where Sauvignon Blanc is not growing – no point in recounting them, Sauvignon Blanc is successfully growing everywhere. Sauvignon Blanc makes sparkling, still, and dessert/late harvest wines. It shines solo everywhere, and I’m not talking about “usual suspects” – Sancerre, New Zealand, Chile, California – but I’m talking about some of the world’s best producers. Screaming Eagle, the “cult of the cults” producer in Napa Valley makes Sauvignon Blanc which is more allocated than their Cabernet Sauvignon. Gaja Alteni di Brassica and Poggio alle Gazze dell’Ornellaia, two of the 100% Sauvignon Blancs from Italy – I hope these names need no introduction. Let’s not forget the “Y” dry wine produced by Sauternes legend, Chateau d’Yquem. And then of course, there are countless blends… Sauvignon Blanc is everywhere.

Garces Silva vineyard at sunset credit Jody Hortons

Never mind the blends – let’s talk about pure Sauvignon Blanc wines. In my opinion, there are 4 main distinct styles of Sauvignon Blanc – as there are 4 main production regions that we already mentioned – Sancerre, New Zealand, Chile, and California (Napa Valley primarily). Maybe I should say “there used to be” 4 main styles… In the old days, Sancerre could be identified by aromas of cat pee and freshly cut grass. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc had a currant profile with currant leaves showing very well. It was popular to refer to the main component of the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc profile as Gooseberry – I remember wine critics angrily saying that 90% of those who use the descriptor never tasted gooseberry in their lives. Chilean Sauvignon Blanc was similar to New Zealand, only shifting more towards grapefruit and a bit more sweetness in the profile. All three (Sancerre, New Zealand, and Chile) have changed today. And only Napa Valley style has not changed since the moment I tasted Napa Sauvignon Blanc for the first time – freshly cut grass is weaved together with bright but not sweet fruit – it is succulent, it is seductive, it is “in-your-face-beautiful-and-not-ashamed-of-it” – but we will have to talk about Napa Sauvignon Blanc some other day.

For a long time, New Zeland Sauvignon Blancs were consistent, with only Cloudy Bay standing apart from the rest, in a very delicious way. Then New Zealand decided to look for a new Sauvignon Blanc identity at some point, and I had an opportunity to taste this “new identity” at a tasting 8 years ago – it was an interesting experience, please read my notes if you are interested. I don’t know if the Chilean wine industry is closely following New Zealand, or if is this just a common trait of growing up, but this brings us to today’s subject – Chilean Sauvignon Blanc wines.

Compared to the Cabernet Sauvignon, the Chilean staple, Sauvignon Blanc is a very young grape. The first plantings of the Cabernet Sauvignon in Chile go back to the middle of the 19th century. The story of Sauvignon Blanc in Chile only started in the late 1970s. In 1978, there was a total of 8,154 acres of Sauvignon Blanc in Chile, accounting for 3.1% of all grape plantings (land under vine), mostly concentrated in Maule Valley. In the 1980s, new plantings of Sauvignon Blanc started to appear in the coastal regions of Casablanca, as well as Coquimbo, Valparaíso and O’Higgins. Coastal areas offered cooler weather, which brings herbal, citrussy expression with cut-through acidity in Sauvignon Blanc, contrasting with the areas with a continental climate, known to bring those grapefruit/tropical fruit notes I mentioned before as an old signature of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc.

Ventisquero vineyard. Source: Viña Ventisquero

Going beyond just new cooler coastal areas, winemakers also started paying attention to the inherent grape qualities, by choosing to experiment with different clones. Of course, it is only fair to assume that clonal selection is not just Pinot Noir or Chardonnay prerogative – nevertheless, until I started working on this article, I had no idea that Sauvignon Blanc clones are even a thing. Turns out that Davis Clone (#1) is known to impart citrusy qualities, Sancerre Clone (#242) is more herbal and fruity, and then there are other popular French clones #107, #241, and #317.

Today, Sauvignon Blanc is the second most planted grape variety in Chile with 37,614 acres under vine in 2019, accounting for 40% of all white grapes plantings. Sauvignon Blanc is the second most widely produced wine in Chile, with 13% of all the Chilean wine production volume (based on 2021 data). The majority of the Sauvignon Blanc plantings are now located in the coastal regions. Chilean Sauvignon Blanc has definitely grown up and it is ready to conquer the world.

To make the encounter with modern Chilean Sauvignon Blanc wines more practical, I had an opportunity to taste 8 Sauvignon Blanc wines, all coming from different producers and representing a number of regions. Here are my notes:

2021 Montes Sauvignon Blanc Limited Selection Leyda Valley DO (13.5% ABV, $15) – Montes is a very interesting winery in general – I had an opportunity to speak with the winemaker, and to learn more about the winery, you might want to read part 1 and part 2 of our conversation. Sauvignon Blanc grapes used in this wine, clones 1 and 242, were harvested from the vineyard located about 9 miles away from the Pacific Ocean on the western slopes of the Cordillera de la Costa mountain range.
Greenish pale
Inviting nose of fresh berries, grass, cassis leaves, some tropical fruit undertones, Napa SB-like presentation
Fresh, vibrant, tart, lean, lemon, a distant hint of freshly cut grass – truly refreshing on a hot day. Delicious.
8+, superb. Nicely complements creamy goat cheese.

2020 Casas del Bosque La Cantera Sauvignon Blanc Las Dichas Casablanca (13% ABV, $18) – Casas del Bosque is one of my favorite Chilean producers, I had a number of their wines on different occasions. The grape for this wine came from the vineyard located about 10 miles away from the Pacific Ocean, located on the mountain slopes.
Greenish pale
Freshly cut grass, green herbs, medium+ intensity, cassis leaves
Clean, light, good acidity, herbaceous profile, a touch of freshly cut grass. Lean.
8, excellent wine.

2021 Viña Koyle Costa La Flor Sauvignon Blanc San Antonio Leyda (12.5% ABV, $18, organic grapes) – Viña Koyle is one of the well-known Chilean organic wine producers – I had an opportunity to try some of their wines last year while working on the Chilean wines sustainability story last year. The grapes for this wine, clones 1 and 242, came from the vineyard located 5 miles away from the Pacific Ocean. The wine was aged for 4 months on the lees to soften the sharp acidity – as you can see in my notes below, cut-through acidity was still acutely present.
Light golden
Very restrained, distant hint of peach and guava
High acidity, a touch of freshly cut grass which quickly dissipated just leaving a tart finish.
8-, will be interesting with seafood.

2020 Viña Garcés Silva Amayna Sauvignon Blanc Leyda Valley DO (14% ABV, $25) – the grapes were harvested at the vineyard located 8.5 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The wine was aged for 6 months on fine lees.
Greenish pale
A hint of freshly cut grass
Tropical fruit profile with a hint of sweetness and a touch of grass
8-, nice

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2020 Matetic EQ Coastal Valle Hermoso Casablanca DO (13.5% ABV, $20) – grapes for this wine came from the biodynamic vineyard in the Rosario Valley in Casablanca, just 3.5 miles away from the ocean.
Straw pale
Steely undertones, a distant hint of gunflint, a touch of lemon
Whitestone fruit, herbs, a touch of cassis leaves, finish is round and gorgeous with a whiff of freshly cut grass. Reminiscent of the Italian renditions of Sauvignon Blanc such as Ornellaia and similar.
8+/9-

2019 Viña Ventisquero Grey Glacier Sauvignon Blanc Atacama Valley (13% ABV, $25) – yet another winery I’m well familiar with. Curious fact – founded in 1998, Viña Ventisquero is turning 25 this year. The vineyard where the grapes for this wine came from is located 15 miles away from the ocean and in the middle of the Atacama desert, taking full advantage of the poor soils. The wine was aged in foudres to enhance its texture and improve aging capabilities.
Greenish pale
A hint of gunflint, earthy undertones, Dias tang hint of lemon
A hint of gunflint, crisp, clean, refreshing, clean acidity on the finish, nice textural presence with some salinity – should be a great oyster chaser.
8/8+, excellent

2021 Viña Tabali Talinay Sauvignon Blanc Valle de Limarí DO (13% ABV, $24) – the vineyard, called Talinay, eponymous with the mountain ridge where it is planted, is located 7 miles away from the ocean.
Greenish white
Minerally-driven nose, limestone, lemon, medium+ intensity
Crisp, fresh, lemon, minerality, a tiny hint of fresh cut grass which comes and goes.
8, this wine is asking for food. I want oysters… works well with Boursin cheese

2020 Viña Morandé Sauvignon Blanc Gran Reserva Casablanca Valley DO (13.5% ABV, $20, 12 months aged in oak foudres and concrete eggs) – Pablo Morandé was a Casablanca Valley pioneer, who started planting Sauvignon Blanc in the 1990s. Grapes for this wine came from Belén vineyard is in the Lo Ovalle region, 14 miles away from the ocean.
Straw pale
Fresh-cut grass with herbal undertones and minerality, sapidity (almost “meaty” smell if it makes any sense)
Clean, crisp palate, freshly cut grass, lemon, crisp acidic finish.
8, elegant and balanced.

Here you are, my friends. Beautiful, minerality-driven, world-class wines, with their own unique and delicious expressions. As you can tell from my notes, the tasting was 8 out of 8 success, which is generally not given.

I don’t know what is your take on Chilean Sauvignon Blanc and when did you taste it last time – it is definitely worth revisiting. and get ready to be pleasantly surprised.