Kevin Judd is a master of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. As its name suggests, this is his wild yeast-fermented expression of the grape, along the lines of Cloudy Bay’s Te Koko. It’s a stunning wine, combining notes of white Burgundy, white Bordeaux and Kiwi fruit exuberance. The older oak is very subtle, the savoury, grapefruity, yeasty flavours perfectly judged.
White Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
2011 François Lurton, Janeil, Gros Manseng & Sauvignon, Côtes de Gascogne
( £7.25, 12.5%, Oddbins )The sort of wine that has made Gascony one of the best value-for-money white wine regions in France, this is a comparativley unusual blend of Sauvignon and Gros Manseng, a grape more often found in Jurançon. It’s tangy, refreshing and crisp, with peach, apricot and grapefruit flavours and a zesty finish.
2012 Dog Point Vineyard, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough
( £12.95, 13.5%, Berry Bros & Rudd, The Wine Society )As good as ever, this textbook Marlborough Sauvignon has more depth and layers than most local examples, combining grapefruit and guava fruit with pithy acidity and notes of green herbs, green pepper and zing. These Sauvignons age surprisingly well, too.
2011 Reuilly, Les Coignons, Denis Jamain, Loire Valley
( £14.25, 12.5%, Berry Bros & Rudd )A Reuilly that tastes as good as a lot of much more expensive Sancerres and, crucially for a 2011, doesn’t suffer from the earthy, grey rot-like notes that damaged the Loire in that vintage. Subtle, flinty, yet ripe, with good almost Graves-like concentration and notes of goosberry and minerals. Try ageing it for a year or two, as you would a Pessac-Léognan. It might surprise you.
2011 Vega de la Reina Sauvignon Blanc, Rueda
( £6.49, 13%, Majestic )International varieties are overshadowed in Spain by local grapes, but Sauvignon seems to have found an ideal spot in Rueda, producing wines that are delicious as well as distinctive. This is a total bargain if you buy two bottles, and I promise you wont’t regret having a spare in the fridge. It’s got flavours of pink grapefruit and passion fruit, a hint of gunflint on the nose and, pithy, refreshing acidity. Not many places could better this at £6.49 for a tasty Sauvignon Blanc.
2011 Brancott Estate, Letter Series, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough
( £16, 9.5%, Brancott Estate Shop )Interesting to see New Zealand’s biggest producer branching out into the production of high end, late picked dessert-style Sauvignon Blanc and selling it on line through its own channels. The result is very tasty, with syrupy, but not cloying flavours of exotic mango and pink grapefruit, light alcohol and well judged sweetness.
2009 Lions de Suduiraut, Sauternes, Bordeaux
( £15, 14%, Averys, Berry Bros & Rudd )That’s £15 per half by the way, just in case you were amazed by the bargain on offer here. Still, it’s a lovely Sauternes, made by a property that made some of the best sweet wines in Bordeaux in 2009. This is honeyed and intense, but with less concentration than the same château’s grown up wine. Sweet vanilla pod and crème brûlée notes combine with a citrus lift on the palate. Classy stuff.
2011 La Casa de Sitios de Bodega, Sauvignon Blanc, Rueda
( £6.49, 13%, The Co-operative )Spain is often overlooked when people are looking for new sources of Sauvignon Blanc, but the cool (comparatively speakig) region of Rueda has been making some very drinkable examples since the 1980s. This good value quaffer is a case in point: stony and fresh with notes of beeswax, honey and gooseberry.
2012 Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough
( £12.50, 13.5%, The Wine Society )The guys behind this outstanding Marlborough operation stopped emphasising their historic link with Cloudy Bay some time ago, and you can see why. These days Dog Point is cheaper and invariably better than the wine that inspired it. Where many local Sauvignons are one dimensional, this one has layers and nuances, with notes of struck match and minerals, some pink grapefruit and beautiful line and length.
2012 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough
( £14.95, 13%, The Wine Society )The fourth release from Kevin Judd’s Marlborough winery is an example of what great winemakers can achieve in tricky vintages. It’s a more restrained style than in the past, owing to a cooler season, but it’s still a lovely wine: fresh, focused and long with attractive gooseberry, pear and orange peel complexity.
2012 Stoneburn Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough
( £7.25, 13%, The Wine Society )This is a little sweet and commercial, but it’s a lot less so than many Kiwi Sauvignons at the price. It’s bright and well crafted with classic goosberry fool and tropical fruit exuberance and mouthwatering acidity.
Gaillac the Tortoise
by Matt Walls
Say the word ‘Gaillac’ and what does it conjure up? Not a lot. Florent Plageoles of leading estate Domaine Plageoles confirms “we have a big image problem”. It’s not that...