Best Overall Sauvignon Blanc: Accendo Cellars 2021 Sauvignon Blanc Napa California
Accendo Cellars was founded in 2013 by Bart and Daphne Araujo and continues to be managed by both as well as the second-generation Araujos, Jaime and Greg. We recently had a chance to taste all 10 vintages of their amazing Sauvignon Blanc wines and can tell you from personal experience that you can either drink this wine now or lay it down for a decade or more. Grapes for the 2021 are sourced from Rancho Pequeño in Oakville and Juliana Vineyard in Pope Valley. Brilliant straw colored in the glass, it has aromas of Bartlett pear, kumquat, freesia, and lemon blossom. On the mid palate it is voluptuous and Rubenesque—impressive even for a full-bodied white wine—with flavors of pear, apple, white pepper, and crushed oyster shell. Winemaker Françoise Peschon has been making this excellent wine for over 10 years and she’s nailed it again.
Buy Now: $90
Best New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc: Cloudy Bay 2020 Te Koko Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough New Zealand
Grapes used to make this New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc come from older vines in the Widows vineyard, Estate vineyard, and Brook Street vineyard, all of which are in the Wairau Valley. The 2019 growing season was a bit challenging for the winemaking team due to cool weather during flowering, but the team persisted by thinning the canopy of grape leaves to allow the sun to assist in the ripening process. The harvest ended on April 2, the earliest date of completion in the winery’s three-decade existence. Te Koko introduces itself with aromas of lemon blossoms, white peach, Anjou pear, and a touch of smoke. In the mouth it has great acidity with citrus and stone fruit flavors all building to a zesty but elegant finish.
Buy Now: $95
Best Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc: Stonestreet Estate Vineyards 2020 Aurora Point Sauvignon Blanc Alexander Valley Sonoma County California
Stonestreet Estate Vineyards was established in 1995 by the late Jess Stonestreet Jackson and his wife Barbara Banke. Today this 5,500-acre estate with elevations in Sonoma’s Alexander Valley ranging from 400 to 2,400 feet is managed by the founders’ son, Christopher, and his wife, Ariel. Aurora Point is a stunning expression of Sauvignon Blanc made with grapes from their high elevation vineyards. It has aromas of tangerine, kumquat, and lemon blossom, exciting acidity and a long, elegant finish punctuated by flavors of grapefruit, passionfruit, and candied orange peel.
Buy Now: $69
Best Italian Sauvignon Blanc: Vie de Romans 2021 Piere Sauvignon Blanc Friuili Venezia Giuila Italy
Over the last century Basilio, Stelio, and Gianfranco Gallo and their families have been making wine in Italy’s northern wine region of Friuili Venezia Giuila. Gianfranco took the reins in 1978 and began reorganizing the vineyards shortly thereafter. In 1989 he built the new winery where he and his family continue to produce exceptional wines. Their 2021 Piere Sauvignon Blanc is straw colored with aromas of chalk, wet river stones, and citrus blossoms. It has bright acidity and full-bodied texture with flavors of honeysuckle, lemon curd, mango, and peach.
Buy Now: $52
Best Austrian Sauvignon Blanc: Johannes Zillinger 2020 Numen Fume Blanc Burgenland Austria
Johannes Zillinger has been making highly respected organic and biodynamic wines in Burgenland, Austria for over 40 years. Visitors to his vineyards can see that he has specifically planted trees and bushes to block winds and assist the natural growing climate. He also allows chickens, pigs, and sheep to graze and manage the crop cover growing between the vines. His Numen Fume Blanc is made from grapes grown on old Sauvignon Blanc vines and is fermented and stored on the lees in amphoras which contributes to the medium straw color. It has aromas of white peach, baked apple, and honeysuckle and flavors of apricot, peach, and orange peel with balanced mouthfeel and acidity.
Buy Now: $55
Best Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc: Chateau Margaux 2015 Pavillon Blanc Bordeaux France
Most wine collectors are very familiar with the red wines of Château Margaux, but many don’t know that the Château makes an amazing Sauvignon Blanc based wine called Pavillon Blanc Du Château Margaux. In fact, the Château has been producing a white wine since the 17th century when it was called Château Margaux Vin de Sauvignon; today the total volume produced is less than 1,000 cases. The 2015 is brilliant straw colored in the glass with aromas of lemon lime zest, Fuji apple, and lychee. It has balanced acidity and flavors of peach, gooseberry, and candied ginger and is showing perfectly right now at nine years, but don’t hesitate to lay it down for another decade.
Buy Now: $520
Best New York Sauvignon Blanc: Wölffer Estate 2021 Antonov Sauvignon Blanc Long Island New York
Sauvignon Blanc wines from Long Island’s South Fork are somewhat rare compared to those from the North Fork and from upstate New York. There are only a handful of wineries on the South Fork, and we think that Wölffer Estate has consistently been one of the best producers there in the last decade. Winemaker Roman Roth and vineyard manager Richie Pisacano and their respective teams make elegant and complex wines. The 2021 Antonov Sauvignon Blanc has aromas of white flowers, grapefruit pith, lemon grass, and passionfruit that draw you in to this full-bodied wine and then give way to flavors of mango, pineapple, and honeydew melon. Perfect to drink on a warm Hamptons’ evening or your backyard pool no matter the location.
Best Sweet Sauvignon Blanc: Honig 2019 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley California
Michael Honig began managing his family’s vineyard at the tender age of 22 and began selling and delivering wine in downtown San Francisco. Three decades later he is still going strong, not only running the day-to-day operations at the winery, but also spending a large chunk of his time in the market as an ambassador for Honig’s excellent wines. Michael also sits on a few local and statewide boards including the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance and the Napa Valley Vintners Association. His late harvest Sauvignon Blanc is one of the best in the country. Amber colored and viscous in the glass it has aromas of acacia honey, beeswax, apricot, and canned peaches. It is generous, full bodied, and sweet without being too cloying, showing vibrant flavors of dried apricot, canned peaches, and lemon curd and a delightful bright splash of acidity in the long, juicy, and fruity finish.
Buy Now: $70
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the differences among Sauvignon Blancs from various regions?
Flavors and aromas of Sauvignon Blanc generally depend upon where the grapes were grown. If the vines grow in cooler climates like New Zealand or France one can expect some of the stronger “cat pee” aromas as well as those more herbaceous or green. Those grown in slightly warmer regions will exhibit more stone fruit and tropical fruit aromas and flavors including peach, mango, guava, and passion fruit. Wines that are fermented and aged in stainless steel are known for their crispness and bright acidity while wines that are aged in oak barrels will be rounder and have oak flavors in addition to the fruit. Barrel aged wines tend to be fuller bodied on the palate as well.
The altitude of the vineyard contributes to large swings in day-to-night temperatures, which aid in maintaining freshness and acidity in the grapes. Different soil types contribute to the flavor profile; those with high mineral content can add traces of salinity, wet river rock, slate, or even smoke. If the wine is aged in oak barrels, it will generally have rounder, fuller flavors and can usually age for years.
The birthplace of Sauvignon Blanc is France’s Loire Valley, but it is now grown around the world with some of the best examples hailing from Sancerre, Bordeaux, Napa, New York, Sonoma, Austria, and New Zealand.
How should you drink Sauvignon Blanc?
Sauvignon Blanc should be served in a large goblet shaped wine glass, which is often called a Bordeaux glass. A large, deep bowl allows for more airspace above the wine and offers the best conditions for aromas to be released and appreciated and for allowing the wine to open. It should be served at a temperature between 45° and 50° F and if you store your bottles in a temperature-controlled cooler or cellar, they should be chilled in the refrigerator or an ice bucket for about 20 minutes.
How did we choose the Sauvignon Blancs on this list?
We factored in a number of elements when making our choices, and the most important is taste, but how a wine actually “tastes” involves a variety of impressions, including flavor, texture, tannins, acidity, and finish. We also considered ability to age and a combination of rarity and accessibility: We sought out wines that are made in relatively small quantities but at the same time are available to purchase without having to join a winery club or allocation list. The majority were tasted blind in comparative tastings with similar wines, but some were drunk at dinner with winemakers or opened by friends.
Why should you trust us?
Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report’s wine editors, have been writing about wine for two decades, have visited wine regions and wineries around the world, and have tasted wine with the people who make it. Last year they tasted over 6,000 wines and are on target to sample more than 7,000 in 2024. They are judges for the internationally renowned Concours Mondial de Bruxelles wine competition, and their work has appeared in Wine Spectator, Forbes, Wine Enthusiast, Huffington Post, Saveur, and books published by Oxford University Press. They have been featured for their expertise in wine on The Today Show, The Martha Stewart Show, CNN, CBS, Fox, WGN, WPIX and NBC. Known as the World Wine Guys, they are the authors of six wine books which have received various accolades and awards including “Best Wine Book in the World” from Gourmand International. In addition to articles like this, they also write The Oeno Files, Robb Report’s weekly wine newsletter.
