When it comes to great value wines, few offer so much zing for so little as Sauvignon Blanc.
Grown all over the world, the grape excels particularly in the cooler bands of the vitisphere – think maritime France, Germany, Austria, Chile, Argentina and New Zealand.
When it comes to the best value, however, you only need to look to three of these countries. Austria in the Northern Hemisphere – where one producer seems to reign supreme when it comes to bang for buck – and Chile, Argentina and New Zealand in the south.
It's worth noting that we calculate the value for money by dividing the aggregated critic scores – which, in the case of this list, all lurk impressively in the mid-90s – by the price, with the most expensive hovering around USD 55. Once divided, the higher the number – the more times the price fits within the score – the better the value.
As a result, the below 10 wines have been rearranged according to the number with the highest first.
Taking top spot is the 2021 vintage of Ventisquero Grey Glacier Longomilla Vineyard Single Block Sauvignon Blanc. With an aggregated critic score of 93 points, and a price of USD 18, this savvy Sav has a best value score of 5.16. A large Chilean producer, Viña Ventisquero has been in action since 1998 and boasts vineyards in many of the country's top spots.
The Grey Sauvignon Blanc comes from the Atacama region – famed for its hot, bone-dry desert. The 2021 vintage was described by Patricio Tapia of Descorchados as "Ventisquero's gateway to its vineyards in Atacama... this white is wild in its herbal and mineral aromas, the saline sensation is very present... The finish is citrusy … Perfect for understanding the character of the wines in that extreme place in northern Chile."
Second up is the 2020 Tabali 'Talinay' Sauvignon Blanc from Chile's Limarí Valley. With an average price tag of USD 19 and a very attractive critic score of 95 points, the wine boasts a value factor of 5.00.
Viña Tabali was founded in 2002 by Chilean businessman Guillermo Antonio Lukšic Craig, whose family made its money in mining. Although Guillermo Lukšic has since died, his son continues to run the show and the resulting wines continue to be as successful as ever.
The 2020 vintage described by Patricio Tapia as having "a big personality that could go very well with mojama-style smoked tuna or those shrimp that appear along the Limarí's riverbed – earthy-flavored shrimp with as much personality as this Sauvignon." Food for thought indeed.
Number three sees a little break from Chile – although still firmly in the Southern Hemisphere – with New Zealand's 2022 Rapaura Springs Bull Paddock Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc. With a price of USD 20 and a critic score of 94 points, this Kiwi Sav has a value factor of 4.70.
Rapaura Springs – named after the springs that help irrigate their Marlborough vineyards – is a venture between two families, the Neylon family arrived in Marlborough in the 1970s to farm mussels, before striking a partnership with the Wiffen Family. Eventually Rapaura Springs was born, creating great wines at great prices ever since.
Fourth is the 2021 Zorzal Eggo Blanc de Cal from the cool, high-altitude vineyards of Tupungato, the northernmost subregion of the Uco Valley in Argentina's Mendoza. The 2021 Zorzal Eggo Blanc de Cal has both a very reasonable price tag of USD 21 and a critic score of 94 points which gives it a best value score of 4.47.
Zorzal has built a reputation on being the highest winery in Mendoza, it's a small operation with a focus on minimum intervention using indigenous yeasts. The Eggo Blanc de Cal is, as the name suggests, aged in concrete eggs for around 11 months. Patricio Tapia described it as "a wine that's especially saline and light-to-medium bodied with juicy acidity and herbal tones... One of the best Sauvignon Blancs from Argentina."
Best Value Sauvignon Blancs on Wine-Searcher:
In fifth place is another Kiwi wonder, this time the 2021 Jules Taylor OTQ Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, proving New Zealand's Marlborough is still an exceptionally strong player in the genre it built its reputation on. Again, with a price of USD 21 and a critic score of 94 points, the 2021 Jules Taylor has a value factor of 4.47.
Named after its winemaker, Jules Taylor was first established in Marlborough in 2001 and has since built a reputation for vibrant, award-winning Sauvignon Blanc – that also happens to be great value. Raymond Chan described the wine as having "expressive aromas of nectarine, yellow peach and mango entwined with dandelion, chamomile, ginger, cardamom, and hay flowing on a creamy mouthfeel extends to a long, savory finish".
Number six is another Kiwi fave, again from Marlborough, this time the 2021 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc. Slightly higher in price, at USD 23, then the previous wines but again with an impressive critic score of 94 points, the Greywacke has achieved a value factor of 4.08.
Founded by winemaker Kevin Judd of Cloudy Bay fame, Greywacke shows off Judd's other parallel career in vineyard photography with the label adorned by a soft, dreamy vine leaf in muted earthy colors. Wine Enthusiast described the wine as having a "lovely depth of aroma and flavor on this (strong) vintage. A bouquet of honeysuckle and meadow flowers mingles with fresh lime, pineapple rind, passion fruit and a white spice nuance."
Number seven sees a return to Chile with the 2022 Laberinto Sauvignon Blanc – other vintages also heavily dominate the Best Value pages – but it is the 2022 which ultimately triumphs. With an average price of USD 23, and an aggregated critic score of 94, the Laberinto scores an overall best value rating of 4.08.
Nestled in the foothills of the Andes in Chile's Maule Valley, Laberinto is a small producer that has been producing wine since 1993. The wines take full advantage of the naturally occurring volcanic soils, as illustrated by the elegant topographical label, and are a hit with the critics.
Patricio Tapia described the 2022 as "an electric Sauvignon with herbal notes and tart white fruit in a body that's light yet full of nerve and tension... A great vintage of one of Chile's best Sauvignons, and one of the few that doesn't come from the coast, but from the Andes." Heady stuff, indeed.
In eighth place is the first of three wines from Austria, the only European country to make this list, and where we shall stay for the remainder. The 2018 Weingut Neumeister Ried Moarfeitl Sauvignon Blanc is one of the most expensive on this list, at USD 43, but also boasts a stunning score of 95 points, giving it a best value rating of 2.20.
Weingut Neumeister, in Steiermark, has become well regarded for its wines, focusing on organic viticulture with many of the grapes hand-picked. Anne Krebiehl MW for Wine Enthusiast described the 2018 as "still tightly coiled and the flavors have yet to unfold. The texture, however, shows what a concentrated little bomb this will be: there is a smooth, soothing core that is alive with freshness and verve. Wait for this. Drink 2025–2040."
In penultimate place is another Austrian powerhouse, the 2019 Weingut Tement Ried Zieregg Sauvignon Blanc Grosse STK Lage. With an average price of USD 55, this wine is even more expensive but still with a fantastic score of 95 points. Weingut Tement prides itself on being a family-run winery with vineyards in both Austria and neighboring Slovenia. Although the winery does boast some fantastic reds, it is the whites the estate is known for.
The 2019 Weingut Tement Ried Zieregg Sauvignon Blanc Grosse STK Lage was described by Wine Enthusiast as having a "slight leesy reduction upfront, but in a most charming way, resembling white raspberry and flint. There's a racy feel to the lemon pith, white peach, thyme and gooseberry notes, backed by a brisk sea-salt edge on the finish." How can one resist?
Finally, bringing up the rear is another from Weingut Tement, their 2019 Weingut Tement Grassnitzberg Sauvignon Blanc Erste STK Lage. Slightly more evenly priced at USD 36 but with a less starry score of 93 points, this racy white wraps things up with a value factor of 1.71.
Wine Enthusiast described the wine as having "a well-defined character of intensity and depth, with concentrated herb, gooseberry, apple and mineral flavors that are rich and long. A charming wine that marries typicity of the region and individuality of the winemaker."
When it comes to great value, Sauvignon Blanc truly knows how to marry great winemaking with great prices. Few grape varieties can offer such bang for buck as the ubiquitous Sauvignon Blanc.
Source: Wine-Searcher