sauvignon blanc

Sauvignon Blanc possesses the rare gift of translating its origin with razor-sharp precision. Originally at home in western France, the variety reveals its true greatness where it is challenged by poor limestone, marl and schist soils. Its most renowned expression is Sancerre on the Upper Loire, where Kimmeridgian marl, calcareous caillottes and flint lie side by side, each yielding distinctive wines. Far from overt fruit aromas, it develops in cool sites a dense, almost smoky herbal spice, carried by taut acidity and fine phenolics that leave a saline echo on the palate and pair superbly with seafood or ripe goat’s cheese.

Just how vibrant this grape variety can be in the border region between Styria and Slovenia is demonstrated by the estate Vino Gross, which bottles it both as a single varietal and in exciting cuvées with Furmint or Riesling. The estate Tement also interprets an exceedingly precise, limestone-driven style with delicate mineral depth.