Newton Johnson Sauvignon Blanc Walker Bay SA 2009

Price: £8.59

A crisp, aromatic Sauvignon Blanc from the cool climate conditions near Hermanus, with added complexity created by part barrel fermentation

Grape: Grassy and herbaceous, with the characteristics of gooseberries, nettles and cat’s pee – this can only be referring to one grape variety: Sauvignon Blanc. The grape has its origins in Bordeaux but is now widely cultivated over France and around much of the world. Think of Pouilly-Fume and Sancerre from the Loire – both these wines are made from Sauvignon Blanc and are, probably, the grape in its purest form: crisp, dry, aromatic and unoaked. In Bordeaux, it’s blended, particularly with Semillon, for the dry whites there, but it’s also an ingredient for the region’s luscious dessert wines, such as those of Sauternes and Barsac.
On the other side of the world, however, New Zealand has also virtually made this white variety its own, giving the wine a screwcap along the way.

Yet this fashionable grape does have its faults. For one, unblended, it doesn’t age. Wines made from Sauvignon Blanc are generally meant to be drunk young, but then that can also be a bonus – as soon as you’ve bought a bottle, you can just chill this zesty little number and enjoy it! On the growing front, it’s susceptible to botrytis, oidium and black rot and will also rot if grown on fertile soils, preferring gravelly or sandy loams, or chalk in parts of the Loire. It also tends to be very vigorous and if it’s allowed to become over-productive on heavy soils, then the characteristics of the wines will be much diluted.

Sauvignon Blanc goes by a few other names, the most common probably being Fume Blanc, as it’s known in California.

Style: Easy, everyday drinking wines, unlikely to cause a sensation but can be relied upon not to offend! Chenin Blanc, Semillon and many Italian whites (Soave, Pinot Grigio) fall into this category. Crisp, clean, medium to dry, with light body.

Ratings for older vintages

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