Sancerre ‘La Vignes Blanche’, Henri Bourgeois
Kekerengu Coast Sauvignon Blanc, Astrolabe, Marlborough, NZ
Simon Waghorn is one of New Zealand's most respected winemakers. He is a real perfectionist and his Sauvignons have amazing purity and depth of flavour. The Kekerengu Coast is my favourite, showing a lovely crunchy, mineral texture alongside the bright, zingy fruit and a really long finish. Classic Marlborough Sauvignon of the highest order.
Te Whare Ra Sauvignon Blanc
Te Whare Ra (TWR), pronounced Te Faré Rha (House of the Sun), is the oldest little winery & vineyard in Marlborough, being first established in 1979 in the sub-region of Renwick. Since 2003 it has been owned and operated by Anna & Jason Flowerday. She’s an Aussie from South Australia and he’s a Kiwi from Marlborough.
Anna and Jason firmly believe that biodiversity is the key to maintaining a good vineyard. They plant between the vines and plough alternate rows. To combat pests, they use natural methods such as buckwheat, and fertilize the vineyard using their own home-made composts and manure. In the cellar they practice a hands-off approach as they seek to express the nature of their individual vineyards and sites. The TWR wines are truly hand-made. Everything is hand-picked, hand-sorted and the attention to detail is meticulous. Anna and Jason are dedicated to making delicious authentic wines that showcase the very best of Marlborough not the mass-produced version.A food-friendly Kiwi Sauvignon - great with grilled fish with olive oil and herbs
Sauvignon Blanc, Framingham
Framingham has been named winery of the year by The Real Review (New Zealand’s top wine publication) for the last two years. They make stunning wines! This Sauvignon is a little bit different to most, with the wine seeing extra skin contact and some ageing in old barrels; this gives the wine a lovely texture and a savoury edge alongside those classic Sauvignon flavours. A very ‘food-friendly’ version of Kiwi Savvy Blanc!
‘La Long Bec’ Blanc, Chenonceaux
Luc Poullain bought Domaine des Echardières and its 16 hectares of vines as a going concern in 2000. He was 30 years old at the time. An interesting career path, he studied as an agricultural engineer in Bedfordshire in the early 1990s!
There are seven hectares of Sauvignon Blanc here planted on two different soil types: silex and caillotes – the same one would expect to find in Sancerre and Pouilly. This wine rivals the best of both of those villages.
Luc uses the Touraine-Chenonceaux appellation that came into effect from the 2011 vintage. Named after the famous Renaissance château situated just down the road, the appellation exists for both red and white wine, selected from the best vineyards located on both sides of the Cher.If you love Loire Sauvignon, you have to try this! It has real richness to it that makes it stand apart from others but still finishes crisp and fresh. Delicious with simple grilled fish - dover sole with lots of butter would be ideal.
Sancerre, Fernand Girard
Durvillea Sauvignon Blanc, Astrolabe
Coteaux du Giennois, Domaine de L’Oselier
The Giennois appelation came into being in 1998 and is effectively a northern extension of Pouilly Sur Loire.
The Sauvignon grapes are planted on Silex soils as in the best vineyards of Pouilly-Fume and Sancerre and the wine shows the real class of those wines, without the price tag to match. Impress your friends with wine-geek knowledge and delicious wine to boot. A relative bargain!An elegant accompaniment to simple grilled fish.
Valencay, Sebastien Vaillant
This has long been one of our most popular wines, a delicious blend of Sauvignon Blanc with a dash of Chardonnay. The Chardonnay adds a lovely texture and a tiny bit of weight to the wine but it still retains that classic Loire Sauvignon character. Sebastian Vaillant is a great winemaker and this is a great value alternative to the neighbouring wines of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume.
Sauvignon de Touraine, Paul Buisse, Loire, France
Quando Sauvignon Blanc
Fanus and Martin Bruwer are 6th generation farmers in Robertson working 190 hectares on the banks of the Breede River, growing artichokes and citrus alongside 8 hectares of organic Sauvignon Blanc on ancient riverbed soils. The grapes are harvested by hand over four successive pickings at different levels of ripeness in order to build in complexity. The result is a dry, mineral Sauvignon, more ‘old world’ than new, but with a spectrum of both tropical and herbal flavours. Still literally made in a garage on the farm using olive oil grade plastic tanks and an old wooden wine press, it shows what a little ingenuity can achieve. Very different to the mass-produced, UK bottled Sauvignon’s that line the supermarket shelves.
Paper Road Sauvignon Blanc, Paddy Borthwick
It took nearly 10 years for Paddy Borthwick to convert part of his family’s sheep and cattle station in Wairarapa, in the south of New Zealand’s North Island, into a wine estate. After years of studying and winemaking experiences abroad, Paddy Borthwick returned to Wairarapa and began planting vines in 1996. A firm believer in sustainable agriculture, and with a relatively hands-off approach in the vineyard and winery, he crafts lively, tense and incredibly precise wines. This is a great introduction to his wines and a great example of the more savoury style of Sauvignon you get from Wairarapa/Martinborough.