Don’t be fooled. Sauvignon gris is a variety in its own right.
Sauvignon blanc dominates this country’s wine output. Covering over half the vineyard area, it accounted for almost 70% of the total grape harvest in 2011. The classic variety of the Loire Valley and Bordeaux is also the source of more than 80% of our wine exports, creating the international perception of New Zealand as a spring of punchy, vibrant, zesty sauvignon blanc.
Think sauvignon blanc … think aromatic, appetisingly crisp wines with fresh herbaceous flavours. But recently the picture has become more complicated. The arrival in shops of sauvignon gris – a different but similar-sounding variety – has
been followed by a clutch of “sauvignon/gris” wines, blended from sauvignon blanc and pinot gris; and the explosion of a whole new wine category: sparkling sauvignon blanc.
New Zealand’s first commercial bottlings of sauvignon gris, an old French variety, were launched by Pernod Ricard NZ from the 2009 vintage. Sauvignon gris typically produces less aromatic, but more substantial wines than sauvignon blanc.
In Bordeaux, sauvignon gris is commonly used as a minority partner in dry white blends dominated by sauvignon blanc, but in Chile – like New Zealand – producers are bottling and exporting sauvignon gris as a varietal wine. The key point is that sauvignon gris is not a blend of sauvignon blanc and pinot gris; nor is it a new vine, bred by crossing those grapes. Sauvignon gris is a variety in its own right.
The finest example so far is Brancott Estate “R” Renwick Marlborough Sauvignon Gris 2010 ($35), a full-bodied wine with rich grapefruit and lime flavours, lively acidity and a long, dry finish. Pure and punchy, with a minerally streak, it shows excellent delicacy and freshness.
Clearview Reserve Sauvignon Gris 2010 ($28) is the first example from Hawke’s Bay. Estate-grown at Te Awanga and barrel-fermented, it is weighty, with peachy, limey, spicy, nutty flavours, showing good complexity and a crisp, dry finish. It’s worth cellaring.
Soon after the release of the country’s first sauvignon gris – and reports they were selling well – came a wave of “sauvignon blanc/pinot gris”, blended from the two popular grape varieties. Some of these blended wines highlighted the words “sauvignon” and “gris” on their labels while playing down the “blanc” and “pinot”, intensifying the scope for confusion.
Although they are often promoted as having a recommended retail price of around $20, you can buy most of the sauvignon blanc/pinot gris blends for less than $15 and often under $10. Montana Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc/Pinot Gris 2010 is fresh and lively, with tropical-fruit, herbal and pear flavours.
Selaks Heritage Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc/Pinot Gris 2010 combines sauvignon blanc’s fresh, nettley flavours with the peachy notes of pinot gris; overall, the sauvignon blanc wins out. The People’s Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc/Pinot Gris 2010 is a mouth-filling, fruity and flavoursome wine, with ripe sauvignon blanc characters holding sway and an undercurrent of pinot gris’ pear and spice notes. Both are made by Constellation NZ (formerly Nobilo), the country’s second-largest wine producer.
The line-up of New Zealand bubblies has lately been boosted by an influx of sparkling sauvignon blancs – a wine style with no overseas precedents. Most of the wines are enjoyable and taste just like you’d expect – sauvignon blanc with bubbles.
Clayridge Sauvignon Blanc de Blancs 2010 ($21) is richer and more complex than most. Grown in Marlborough and partly barrel-fermented, it is scented and lively, fruity and moderately yeasty, with finely balanced limey flavours, very crisp and refreshing.
Brancott Estate Reserve Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc NV ($23) is a fresh, lively and crisp Marlborough wine in a medium-dry style, with strong ripe melon and lime flavours and instant appeal.
Kiki Marlborough Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc 2009 ($19), from Ant Moore, is a crisp, off-dry style with strong tropical-fruit flavours, slightly toasty, very fresh and lively. It is “ready to escape from the bottle and make your world a better place”.