On ageing Sauvignon Blanc in Decanter
So come on – where do you stand in the great Sauvignon Blanc debate?
Some people hate it – saying it’s too obvious, boring, short-lived or just too popular for its own good (in UK shops, it’s now the best selling grape variety by some margin).
But some, including us, love it. This article in Decanter‘s September 2016 edition is an attempt to redress the balance in Sauvignon’s favour, re-affirming its clear capacity not only to produce complex, compelling wines but also ones that age and mature well in the bottle too. Peter’s broad point is that, given New Zealand Sauvignon only really burst onto the world scene in the 1980s, and the variety has expanded fast ever since, this is just the blink of an eye in wine terms. So we’re only really starting to appreciate what Sauvignon is truly capable of when it’s handled carefully and expertly in sites from Stellenbosch to San Antonio and beyond. This is ‘Sauvignon’s second coming’ – and it’s exciting.
The feature also has a poignancy because it features thoughtful insights from highly respected winemaker, researcher and teacher Denis Dubourdieu, who died in July. This was a very sad loss for the wine world. He leaves a fine legacy, however, one strand of which was his research into and support of Sauvignon Blanc. We will be toasting his memory with a fine glass of Doisy-Daëne Sec, a particular favourite of ours. (Other recommendations in the piece feature the likes of Dog Point, Reyneke, Aquitania, Chateau Brown, Didier Dagueneau, Henri Bourgeois, Cloudy Bay, Domaine de Chevalier, Bay of Fires and Ravine Vineyard.)
[Peter Richards MW on ageing Sauvignon Blanc in Decanter magazine]