Sauvignon Blanc grape variety

Sauvignon Blanc is one of the best-known white grape varieties from France. It actually originated in the Loire - but is now cultivated worldwide as the second most important noble variety after Chardonnay. New Zealand in particular has become the second home of Sauvignon Blanc. The variety is known for its citric tones and distinctly intense flavour. Depending on how it is vinified, it can have an aroma dominated by grassy freshness or a heavier bouquet with intense flavours of gooseberries or tropical fruits such as passion fruit. Green peppers and grapefruit are also not uncommon. Sauvignon Blanc can also be matured in steel tanks with the exclusion of oxygen as far as possible or in wooden containers with a much more oxidative flavour. Depending on the style of vinification, the ageing horizon can range from a few years to two decades.