CELEBRATING SAUVIGNON BLANC
Today marks International Sauvignon Blanc Day – an opportunity to toast a world wine superstar, whose tropical charms have won grape-loving hearts the world over.
Originally from France, the grape is widely touted to have derived its name from the French word “sauvage” meaning “wild”, as the vines are reminiscent of wild grapevines.
Mainstream expressions of Sauvignon Blanc are crisp and zesty, greeting the nose with a heady spectrum of exotic fruit and fresh green aromas, and for a while there seemed to be a dip in the love for this style. Its fruit-driven characters became a little predictable for some, and sommeliers across Australia begun to explore other ‘serious’ white wines to feature on their lists.
More recently however, bold winemakers around the world have been experimenting with different techniques – wild fermenting on skins, in barrel or clay amphorae – to produce new, exciting expressions of the variety. Sauvignon Blanc is an excellent candidate for this sort of creative exploration as no matter what you throw at it, it remains unmistakably varietal. Needless to say, the passion has been restored.
In the coastal haven of Margaret River, we have evolved a distinctly refreshing version of the famed style known as ‘white Bordeaux’ – combining Sauvignon Blanc with Semillon to create the locally revered ‘SBS' or ‘SSB’. With our Mediterranean climate sharing so many similarities with Bordeaux, it’s no surprise this style caught on closer to home. These blends are delicious when drunk young, but also have big potential to age, developing flinty, smoky layers over time.
At Voyager Estate, we lovingly refer to the SBS as our ‘comeback kid’ – as lately, it’s coming back into style with a vengeance, reinvigorated by judicious use of oak to add texture and complexity. It’s a wine for all seasons – crisp, dry, and refreshing for a summer’s day, but with enough weight and texture to stand up to cooler temperatures too. It also pairs supremely well with food, especially our incredible Western Australian seafood.
Our 2021 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon is the first certified organic release of this wine, and for us, embodies a true sense of place.
‘This is the first release of a certified organic version of this classic Margaret River blend from Voyager. A lighter-bodied wine showing beautiful fruit purity. A portion of the semillon was fermented in new French oak, adding a textural palate feel and structure. Stacks of crunchy fruit, lifted with a keen crisp, lemon acid’ – 93 points, Ray Jordan, The West Australian.
If this style has dropped off your radar, it might be time to dip your toe back in and experience the evolution…
