In a time of gloom for French wine, perhaps there is one unlikely ray of light – Sauvignon Blanc.
Sauvignon has been a French mainstay for centuries, not just forming the backbone of the great white wines of Bordeaux, but also fueling the upper reaches of the Loire river's great wine regions, Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé. However, 50 years ago a challenger appeared on the horizon.
New Zealand's Marlborough emerged as an absolute powerhouse for Sauvignon Blanc back in the 1980s and has arguably dominated the variety ever since, producing zingy, vibrant wines with distinctive flavors, racy acidity and juicy fruit. It's a winning combination, as any retailer will tell you – there are few wine sellers who don't stock a few Marlborough Sauvignons, and fewer consumers who haven't tried it.
New Zealand Sauvignon is so dominant domestically that it is in danger of unbalancing the country's entire wine industry, as we have noted elsewhere. But it has also won over consumers worldwide to such an extent that Marlborough has become synonymous with Sauvignon, even more so than any French region.
Sauvignon's popularity with consumers isn't just fed by New Zealand, however. Most other wine-producing nations have given it a go, with Chile, South Africa and Austria all having a certain level of success. Even the Cabernet-crazy producers in Napa have given serious space in their vineyards and product rosters to Sauvignon, in an attempt to cash in on the seemingly insatiable consumer thirst for Sauvignon.
And yet, this huge popularity among consumers doesn't seem to flow through to the critics, who remain distinctly sniffy towards the variety. A look at the highest-scoring Sauvignons on our database reveals just six wines with scores in excess of 93, which remains the ceiling for Sauvignon – as far as the critics are concerned, at least.
But there are changes afoot among our most-wanted Sauvignons, and it's good news for the variety's traditional home, as we can see looking at the top 10.
The World's Most Wanted Sauvignon Blancs on Wine-Searcher:
| Wine Name | Score | Ave Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dagueneau Silex, Pouilly-Fumé | 93 | $225 | |
| Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux, Bordeaux | 94 | $328 | |
| Cloudy Bay, Marlborough | 90 | $33 | |
| Dagueneau Pur Sang, Vin de France | 93 | $145 | |
| Edmond Vatan Clos la Neore, Sancerre | 93 | $455 | |
| Greywacke, Marlborough | 91 | $23 | |
| Screaming Eagle, Oakville | 93 | $3955 | |
| Dagueneau Blanc etc., Vin de France | 90 | $97 | |
| Baron de Ladoucette Baron de L, Pouilly-Fumé | 91 | $88 | |
| Francois Cotat Les Monts Damnes, Sancerre | 92 | $80 |
The big change in this list is the drop-off in the number of New Zealand wines.
In past years, at least half the top 10 have been New Zealand wines, while France's representation has been around three or four. However, in the past five years, those numbers have gradually been swinging the other way, until we arrive at what is a historically low number of Marlborough wines in our top 10 – just two (down from five three years ago and four last year).
Meanwhile, the wines of the Loire have been on the march, with six now comfortably ensconced on the list (even if two of them are no longer covered by the appellation rules and are classed simply as Vins de France). It looks as though there is another layer of interest in Sauvignon Blanc, beyond the easy-drinking, consume-soon style beloved of both Marlborough and supermarket chains, which might give Kiwi producers some pause for thought.
That's backed up by the prices. While the Marlborough wines offer great value, the prices haven't really shifted over the past five years, whereas the French wines have gone uniformly up in price, some quite spectacularly – two years ago, the Dagenau Silex had a global average retail price of USD 161, while the Cotat Sancerre has almost doubled in price in the past five years. Oddly enough, the Screaming Eagle has come down quite spectacularly in price, falling from a peak of more than USD 7000 in July 2021 to its current sub-USD 4000 average price tag.
Interest in Sauvignon Blanc appears to be on the rise again, but on the evidence here, it's going to be Sauvignon Blanc with a pronounced French accent that will be drawing in interest going forward. And that's not something the New Zealand wine industry wants to hear.
Source: Wine-Searcher