white grape · major international
Sauvignon Blanc
Loire Valley, France
Say it
soh·vin·yohnblahnk
The -gnon ending is a palatalized nasal (ny+awn); Blanc is fully nasalized in French — American speakers typically add a final K to both.
On the palate
Body
light medium
Acidity
high
Aromatics
pronounced
limegrapefruitelderflowerbell pepperpassionfruithay
How you spot it blind: Pyrazine snap — bell pepper to elderflower — riding searingly high acidity
The story
First written down · 1534, Loire Valley, France
Sauvignon Blanc crossed naturally with Cabernet Franc to produce Cabernet Sauvignon, a parentage confirmed by DNA profiling (Bowers & Meredith, 1997).
Family tree: SAVAGNIN BLANC × ?
Where it lives
Loire Valley, France · Bordeaux, France · Marlborough, New Zealand · Napa Valley, California · Casablanca Valley, Chile · Stellenbosch, South Africa
Shows up as
still whitesweetSancerrePouilly-FuméSauternesFumé Blanc
If you like this, try
Also answers to Sauvingon Blanc, Fumé Blanc.
Shop our Sauvignon Blanc bottles