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7 highly underrated sauvignon blancs for savvy b haters

Read time 5 Mins

Posted 11 Jan 2024

By
Emily Reed

A top selection of sauvignon blancs from Australia and France

If you’d rather be caught dead than drink sauvignon blanc, these seven sauvs are about to change your mind.

When did sauvignon blanc start getting a bad rap and become the ‘house white’ at your local pub? It has so much going for it and we’ve done our homework to prove the point: there are plenty of sauv styles that are seriously underrated and bloody delicious. Star wines from Australia and NZ as well as France’s Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé – yep, all made with sauvignon blanc grapes – deserve to be on your radar and in your glass.

If you’ve been put off by the syrupy sweet passionfruit flavours (so. much. passionfruit.) of so many of the sauvignon blancs that took over Australia in the last decade or two, know that there’s plenty more out there. So go on, fall back in love with this variety. We’ve got seven examples here to set your heart aflutter – just in time for warm weather when a chilled glass of savvy b goes down a treat.

A bottle of Patient Cottat Pouilly-Fumé Anciennes Vignes

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1. Patient Cottat Pouilly-Fumé Anciennes Vignes

Our first drop hails from the birthplace of the sauvignon blanc grape: the upper Loire Valley in France. Patient Cottat is named after a famous master goldsmith who was kicking around in the 19th century – turns out he was a big fan of the region and this grape. Anciennes Vignes (which translates to ‘old vines’, but you could probably figure that out) is crafted in the prestigious Pouilly-Fumé appellation – and, surprise surprise, anything labelled Pouilly-Fumé is made purely with sauvignon blanc grapes. Renowned for its unique smoky and mineral characteristics, these dry white wines come into their own during spring in France, and they’re some of the country’s most vivacious whites; typically they don't have as much acidity as sauvignon blanc produced in other countries. A glass of this wine will show intense aromas and fruity, smoky flavours. It’s rich, but balanced with a refreshing acidity that’s made to cut through a hot summer arvo.

2. The Pebble Loire Sauvignon Blanc

Here we have another drop from the Loire Valley region, also from Patient Cottat, made from 100% sauv. If you’re looking for something at a lower price point, this is one of our favourite bang-for-buck wines to recommend (and drink ourselves). The soils of Loire Valley vineyards are composed of a mixture of clays, sands, limestone and flint, which all help contribute to this variety’s unique mineral freshness. When you pour a glass of The Pebble, you’ll appreciate its soft minerality, wrapped up in summery aromas of melon and citrus. Then the tropical fruit, citrus and spice flavours will keep you coming back. It packs a brilliant acidity and gentle earthiness that makes it a perfect example of why sauvignon blanc shouldn’t be overlooked. This wine is best enjoyed with some barbecued garlic prawns or maybe even a bowl of chilled gazpacho.
Holding a bottle of the Pebble Loire Sauvignon Blanc

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The Greywacke Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and a glass of this wine

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3. Greywacke Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

An excellent sauvignon blanc from New Zealand? We know, that’s nothing groundbreaking. But bear with us, because this drop is seriously worth it. A small, dedicated team runs the show from Greywacke HQ in the heart of Marlborough’s Omaka Valley. Marlborough, on New Zealand's South Island, is the largest wine-growing region in the country and home of their most world-renowned savs. Greywacke (pronounced Greywacky) is the name of New Zealand’s most abundant bedrock; these grey river stones are found throughout Marlborough’s rivers and vineyard soils. Greywacke has been a family affair since 2009, and while the company now exports its wine all over the world (this one is killing it on the international circuit), the ‘keep it simple and hands-on’ ethos they’ve adopted since the beginning is very much alive and kicking. The fruit is sourced from mature vineyards in prime viticultural sites where the region’s sunny South Pacific climate works wonders. As a result, Greywacke Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is ripe, textural and scrumptious. It offers stone fruit flavours on a rich, smooth and mouthwateringly juicy frame, with notes of honeysuckle, honey-pressed ginger, creamy lemon curd, ripe mango and flowers, with an expressive finish to boot. Downright delicious, if you ask us.

4. Seven Eves Fumé Blanc

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.

A bottle of Seven Eves Fumé Blanc from the Adelaide Hills

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The Gerard Boulay Loire Valley Sancerre

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5. Gerard Boulay Loire Valley Sancerre

Sancerre is a district in the Loire Valley wine territory in north-central France – it’s also a type of wine made from sauvignon blanc grapes. Only wines made in this district can be called ‘Sancerre’ and whites from Sancerre can only be made with sauvignon blanc grapes. While the style can vary between producers, Sancerres are highly regarded for their crisp, dry, acidic, fruity, herbal and mineral qualities, and are considered some of the best sauvignon blanc wines in the world. This truly excellent one from Gerard Boulay is a blend of up to 30 small parcels of fruit, including those from vines across Les Chasseignes, Les Longues Fins and Le Rue de Veaux that were planted nearly 40 years ago. The mineral vibrancy and mouth-watering phenolic structure (phenolics are chemical compounds that affect the taste, feel and colour of wine, much like tannins) make for a well-balanced wine that finishes with stony definition, chalky cut and great length. It’s well worth the cash. Add it to your sip list immediately.

6. Domaine Simha Nature Sauvignon Blanc

From the Derwent Valley down in Tassie comes an expressive sauvignon style that’s bright, fruitful, softly textured and fresh. Domaine Simha do wine differently: they craft it by hand in micro batches (only two to three barrels of each wine are made at a time). They harness Tasmania’s sparkling air, ancient soil and pristine natural environment, and hunt out some of the most unique vineyards in the upper Derwent, Coal River and Huon Valleys, partnering with expert growers to make some magical wines. Their Nature Sauvignon Blanc is made with grapes carefully handpicked after a harvest moon before they’re whole-bunch pressed (that’s where the stems aren’t removed from the grapes) and wild fermented in oak barrels for 12 months. The result is an unfiltered sauv with perfect natural balance and sweetpea, lemon, gooseberry, fresh basil notes and (just the right amount of) passionfruit.
The Domaine Simha Nature Sauvignon Blanc is from Tasmania

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Pouring a bottle of the Geoff Weaver Sauvignon Blanc

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7. Geoff Weaver Sauvignon Blanc

This bright sauv blanc is the undiscovered gem of the Adelaide Hills. Delicate and aromatic, it’s brought to you by Geoff Weaver, one of Australia’s top white-winemakers. He and his wife Judith have been tending to the vines on their Lenswood vineyard since 1992 – they’re actually some of the oldest vines in the Hills. Geoff Weaver’s Sauvignon Blanc can only be described as immaculate – reconfirming why Geoff and Judith are responsible for making some of Australia’s most famous wines. It’s bursting with apple and citrus notes, powered by a rich, zingy, zesty length. This lively drop will go down a treat with even the most avid sauvignon blanc-avoiders.
Not convinced, but still want a wine that’s a little similar to sauvignon blanc? Try these great white-wine ideas. 
image credits: Shelley Horan
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Emily ReedEmily is a Melbourne-based writer partial to a good pét nat. Her hobbies include lining up songs on Spotify at house parties and hovering near cheese platters.
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Hit ListWineAustralian productsSauvignon BlancFrench regionWhite Wine
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