Sauvignon Blanc flight

Recently I hosted a Sauvignon Blanc tasting.  It was a flight of four Sauvignon Blancs from four very different regions. The objective was to compare and contrast the same grape grown in different terroir. Terroir is the natural environment in which a wine is produced. It includes factors such as soil, topography and climate.

First was the Australian.  We tasted a 2019 Shaw & Smith from Adelaide Hills.  The Adelaide region of Australia has high altitudes and a cooler climates due to the ocean breezes.  This was the quintessential Australian Sauvignon Blanc with grapefruit notes and lip smacking acidity.

Then we tried a Sauvignon Blanc from California.  It was a 2017 Flora Springs from Napa Valley AVA.  St. Helena is a lower elevation (about 500 Ft) and much warmer climate.  The aging of this wine took place in a trio of stainless steel, concrete “egg” vat, and some French oak.  These techniques took this Sauvignon Blanc to the cusp of a Fume Blanc, but retained some of the acidity we are used to.

Next,  was the Chilean wine.  We tasted a 2018 Arboleda from Leyda Valley DO.  The Aconcagua Region has high altitudes and cool climates due to the Humboldt Current and coastal proximity.   This wine had more passion fruit and herbal notes and a surprise of green bell pepper.

Finally, we enjoyed a 2019 Domaine Delaporte Chavignol from the upper Loire Valley.  The climate there is cool. This wine is known as Sancerre and is 100% Sauvignon Blanc.  It is meant to be consumed young.  This wine had notes of tree fruits such as pear apple and peach.

It fascinates me that the same grape, grown in different areas of the world and made uniquely wonderful by their vintners can take on so many nuances. Whether the wine was made with 100% or only 75% Sauvignon Blanc grapes, or whether it was aged solely in stainless steel or partially in French oak, it is still a Sauvignon Blanc.  The acidity is still present, but on different levels and the tropical and/or tree fruit is still prevalent. I guess the moral of the story is you can put the grape in different regions, grow it in different soils, and age it in different vessels, but you will always have a Sauvignon Blanc that refreshes, tantalizes the tongue and puts a smile on your face.