7 highly underrated sauvignon blancs for savvy b haters

Fumé blanc and sauvignon blanc are essentially the same wine, but there’s a key difference in how they’re handled. First, some history. In the 1960s, legendary American winemaker Robert Mondavi wanted to make a top-notch sauvignon blanc, but he had a marketing problem – the US drinking public at the time saw sauv blanc as boring, sweet and low quality. Robert wanted to be like the French, whose incredible Loire Valley sauvignon blancs were the pinnacle of what this grape could be. So he changed the name, using ‘fumé’ to refer to the smoky characteristics typical of the Pouilly-Fumé greats and decided to age his new style in oak barrels, unlike other sauvignon blancs that were typically aged in stainless steel vats. The result? Fumé blanc can have a little more body and complexity compared to sauv blanc, which is known to be fruity, clean and bright on the palate. These days, fumé blanc isn’t always oaked, but the term is still often used to refer to sauv blancs made in the US, which can taste quite different to your average Kiwi white. 

However, the winemakers at Seven Eves in South Australia’s Adelaide Hills do barrel-ferment their unfined and unfiltered Fumé Blanc in French oak. It smells like gooseberries and apricots, and tastes light and dry with a good serving of acidity. Pair it with goat’s cheese at your next dinner party – trust us.