Step forward sauvignon blanc to take your place in the spotlight

Last week was International Viognier Day and this week it is the turn of sauvignon blanc to take centre stage. International Sauvignon Blanc Day was on Friday and you would think, given this grape’s popularity that it hardly needs more attention drawn to it? But maybe this year is different given the shortage of New Zealand sauvignon blanc because of the tiny 2021 harvest.

This is an opportunity for other regions to seize a larger piece of the action and for consumers to experiment a little, after all, trust me, there is life beyond Marlborough!

I’ve reviewed The Pebble Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Val de Loire (Tesco £9 or £8 with a Clubcard until May 23) before but this remains good value and is made in a very similar style to New Zealand sauvignon blanc if you are looking for a slightly richer, more tropical style. There are certainly tropical fruits on the nose, passion fruit in particular along with citrus and crunchy blackcurrant, followed by a little passion fruit richness on the palate along with zesty acidity and a clean finish. This is a good summer all-rounder that would also work well with Asian flavours where lime and chilli are involved.

Chile is currently a happy hunting ground for sauvignon blanc but you need to trade up a little from own-label supermarket wines to something more interesting. Viña Leyda ‘Garuma’ Sauvignon Blanc 2021,Leyda (Tesco £12 or Clubcard price £10 until May 23) is made from a single vineyard close to the Pacific with its cooling breezes. The bouquet has grated lime zest, grapefruit, green peppers and a hint of sea spray. The palate is bone dry with lime and some minerality before a long vibrant finish. Lovely with fresh seafood, including ceviche with a nod to South America and also with our own, in season, asparagus.

Although the 2021 harvest in New Zealand was small it was a brilliant vintage from a quality perspective, one of the best of this century. Smith &

Sheth ‘Cru’ Sauvignon Blanc 2021, Marlborough (Tesco £17 or Clubcard price £15 until May 23) is one of the stars of this vintage. Made from older vines in Wairau, this has an expressive opulent nose with aromas of peach, gooseberry, lime and ripe pear. The palate offers more peach, some minerals, ripe acidity and a lovely textured, long finish. This is a fine wine and would be a great match with grilled scallops, garlic prawns or goat’s cheese salad. n Alistair Gibson is proprietor of Heritage Cellars. Call 07712 669973 or e-mail alistair@heritagecellars.co.uk