The Great Pretender to Chardonnay's Crown Has Many Loyal Subjects By Nancy Ross Ryan
Photo by Laurie Proffitt
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Sauvignon, S'il Vous Plait The Great Pretender to Chardonnay's Crown Has Many Loyal Subjects By Nancy Ross Ryan |
Photo by Laurie Proffitt |
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"If there is any chance that Chardonnay will one day lose its prominent position, Sauvignon Blanc is the main pretender to the crown," write the authors of "Exploring Wine," Steven Kolpan, Brian H. Smith, and Michael A. Weiss (Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1996). For years I have been a loyal subject and fervent supporter of this amazing white wine which, at its varietal best, is fresh, clean, and brightly acidic, with mineral, grassy, fruity overtones. Say Kolpan, Smith and Weiss, "Many restaurateurs, chefs and owners believe Sauvignon Blanc is a better match for a wider variety of foods than Chardonnay. Sauvignon Blancs are more tart...and their higher acidity cleanses the palate." Sauvignon Blanc, the white grape native to France in the Bordeaux and the Loire Valley, finds its purest, most varietal expression in Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé, wines from the Upper Loire. (In Bordeaux it is a component, along with Semillion, of white Graves and Sauternes.) But in recent years some excellent Sauvignon Blancs have been produced in New Zealand, California, Australia and South Africa, although South African wines are hard to find in many markets. There are different styles of Sauvignon Blanc depending not only on where the grape was grown but on the hand print of the wine makers, according to Brian Duncan, wine director and partner at Bin 36 in Chicago. "The wine makers can decide to use wood or not to use wood, to use stainless steel or to finish in wood after it has been fermented in stainless steel -- making any number of variables that will influence the finished product," he says. "over the years I'm less inclined to generalize. and I'm really looking at individual producers now." One producer he cites is Didier Daguenau, one of the rebels and mavericks of the Loire Valley, who plants not just according to organic farming methods but to a system of bio dynamics. I heard M. Daguenau speak on this topic two years ago at a tasting of his Pouilly Fumé wines and I confess that his system -- spacing vines, planting according to the movement of the planets -- confused me completely. However esoteric his vineyard methods, Duncan says "Daguenau has raised the whole idea of what Sauvignon Blanc can be. His wines tend to be incredibly more expressive in their flavor profile that the wines of his neighbors in the Loire." M. Daguenau is reportedly fond of taking visitors not only through his vineyards, pointing out their strengths, but then through the vineyards of his neighbors in the Loire, pointing out their weaknesses. Whatever my inability to comprehend his biodynamics, his wines came through loud and clear. Duncan carries three of them: En Chailloux, Pur Sang and, top of the line, Silex. Silex is named after the flinty soil of the vineyards. All are expensive, as Sauvignon Blancs go, but all represent some of the finest expressions of the varietal being made. My favorite style of Sauvignon Blanc tends to be closer to the Sancerres and Pouilly Fumé, which can be fruity (citrus, green apple, goose berry),flinty, grassy and herbaceous, and smoky. But I have also enjoyed the crisp clean acidic taste of some California Sauvignon Blancs. What I do not favor are the Sauvignon Blancs that have been so heavily oaked that I can hardly tell them from Chardonnays. "Many of the wine makers use oak as though it's a condiment. It should be a component, not the main feature in the wine," says Duncan, who adds reassuringly, "But now we;re moving to a phase in wine making where we are seeking a balance." Says Julie Garvey, proprietor of Flora Springs Winery in St. Helena, California, "Sauvignon Blanc, almost more than any other wine can be divided into distinct styles. You mention the grassy, clean style of the Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé as well as the Chardonnay-wanna-bes. I would also suggest that there is a very appealing style that is more fruit driven and shows more floral elements than herb and more melon than grass. I have enjoyed great examples of each, but my favorite is the fruit-driven style which is what we make here at Flora Springs. Our flavors and aromas are reminiscent of honeysuckle and melons, with delicate herbs." Sally Camm, one of about 50 women sommeliers worldwide (certified by the Guild of Master Sommeliers in London), and Wine Educator at United Distillers & Vintners of North America says, "I've just been waiting for Sauvignon Blanc to come into its own. There's a move in California to allow the varietal characteristic to come out. Beaulieu Vineyard, Sauvignon Blanc is an excellent example. Its acidity complements a whole variety of food and actually makes food lighter." Sauvignon Blanc is my all-time favorite aperitif wine to serve at home, chilled to about 50 degrees. Even my Chardonnay-obsessed friends relish it. The wine is a natural match for goat cheese. Camm recommends the grassy Sauvignon Blancs with fresh goat cheese, and grilled vegetables with olive oil. Duncan says, "It's the best wine for mild goat cheeses, but the more complex the cheese, the more complex a Sauvignon Blanc." The herbaceous style of Sauvignon Blanc is a good match for swordfish with an herb vinaigrette, lemon Dover sole, grilled poultry (no barbecue please) such a chicken and quail. A fruity, citrusy Sauvignon goes well with mildly spicy dishes and with much of Thai cuisine that has herbal notes such as cilantro and coriander. Fuller-bodied Sauvignon Blancs are divine with mussels, smoked salmon, smoked fish and shellfish in general. And if you're going to drink it with a dish, by all means use it in the cooking or marination. Sauvignon Blancs, depending on style, are among the few wines you can drink with green salads with light vinaigrettes and -- strange but true -- artichokes.
France, Loire Valley
New Zealand, Marlborough
Australia, Adelaide
California |
LIQUID ASSETS - June 2001
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