Alternative styles - the evolution and future of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

For Sauvignon Blanc lovers, the thought of putting their aromatic, fruity and uniquely Marlborough drop in oak can be intriguing and tantalising.

Pioneering Marlborough winemaker Kevin Judd has been using different styles with Sauvignon Blanc for years – fermenting it in oak barrels and using wild yeasts. Doing so provides a significant savouriness and a totally different mouthfeel from the classic crisp and clean Marlborough Sauvignon.

“I think it adds personality and individuality – it’s more rounded and less overtly fruity – a very intricate style,” he says. “If I’m having some fish on a nice hot summer’s day then a fruity Sauvignon is great, but if it’s cooler and I’m having something rich and creamy then a wild ferment does a better job.”

Wine drinkers are becoming more mature in their tastes and interested in looking at different and more diverse styles, and winemakers are coming up trumps in delivering, says Kevin.  “As time goes on, it’s great to see people playing with different styles,” he says. “Some producers are prepared to move from the mainstream market and be adventurous.”

An oaked or wild ferment Sauvignon is quite different from the typically vibrant fruity Sauvignon Blanc, and it is better if people have the wine explained by an expert - perhaps by a retailer, sommelier or cellar door host - so they are expecting something out of the ordinary, says Kevin.

It is still a small proportion of the overall Sauvignon Blanc market, with the classic Sauvignon Blanc continuing to be as popular as ever. “I very clearly remember discussion in the early days that Sauvignon would go out of fashion – it hasn’t yet,” Kevin says. “Sauvignon’s great strength is that it is predictable. When you buy a bottle you generally get what you expect – it’s fruity, dry and crisp. People like that, and so a classic Marlborough Sauvignon will continue to be popular for years to come.”

For Emma Jenkins, Master of Wine, the evolution of Sauvignon Blanc towards varying styles is a necessary path to travel. “There is always a ladder to climb in terms of moving forward and continual diversity,” she says. “People want to experiment – what can I do with my site, what can I do with this fruit in the winery?” 

While there are people who believe Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is such a classical and successful style it shouldn’t be played with, Emma says experiments with barrel ferments have produced some beautiful wines.

The assertive characteristic of Sauvignon Blanc can fight with oak, so it needs sensitive hands, and the richer and more textural fruit from the Southern Valleys is often more suited, according to Emma. “Personally, I see it as a harmonious, beautifully textural and balanced wine and often much more food friendly. These funky styles are always going to be polarising, but it’s moving forward and keeping people interested.”

Instantly recognisable as soon as it is poured, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc has changed the way the world drinks. Share your uniquely Marlborough stories using #sauvblancday #winemarlborough and #nzwine and check out www.sauvblancday.nz

This article was first published in April 30, 2020