Top seven best value Sauvignon Blancs
Following the drinks business Sauvignon Blanc Masters held late last year, we round up the top examples priced under £15 that took home a gold medal.
The results of the second Drinks Business Global Sauvignon Blanc Masters are a testament to the increasing quality of Sauvignon Blanc being produced worldwide, with New World examples proving more than a match for the handful of entries from France. Of the 157 wines entered from 11 different countries, including Greece, Italy, New Zealand, Romania and Australia, 139 received a medal.
Served blind and assessed without prejudice about their country of origin, the wines were arranged according to their price band as well as style, from low-priced to high, blended to 100% Sauvignon, and unoaked to oaked, to make the competition as fair as possible. In total 157 wines were judged by our panel, with wines that scored over 90 points awarded a Gold medal. Exceptional wines that scored 95 points or more were given the ultimate accolade of a Master, however no wine in the under £15 price category achieved this.
Here, we round up the wines that were priced under £15, and that were awarded a gold medal across all categories.
Click through for the Sauvignon Blancs that were awarded a Gold medal in the drinks business 2015 Sauvignon Blanc Masters….
To see a full report on the competition and all of the wines that won a medal click here.
About the competition
In a crowded wine competition arena, The Drinks Business Global Sauvignon Blanc Masters stands out for its assessment of wines purely by grape variety rather than by region. Divided only by price bracket and, for ease of judging, whether the style was oaked or unoaked, the blind tasting format allowed wines to be assessed without prejudice about their country of origin.
Wines were scored out of 100, with those gaining over 95 points being awarded the top title of Master. Those earning over 90 points were given a Gold, those over 85 points a Silver and those over 80 points a Bronze. The wines were judged by a cherry-picked group of Masters of Wine on 8 December at York & Albany in Camden. This report features only the medal-winners.
Ribbonwood Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014, Marlborough, New Zealand
What the judges said: “Intensely aromatic nose with a waxy lemon character and touch of evolution. On the palate, restrained with notes of pink grapefruit and passionfruit. Hint of reduction with a fresh, long finish.”
Style: 100% Sauvignon Blanc – Unoaked
Price category: £10-£15
Producer: Framingham Wines
Medal: Gold
The King’s Favour Sauvignon Blanc 2014, Marlborough, New Zealand
What the judges said: “Floral on the nose with notes of elderflower, acacia, lime and grass. Lively, intense, concentrated and elegant on the palate with notes of apple, passionfruit and citrus. Well balanced. A crowd pleaser.”
Style: 100% Sauvignon Blanc – Unoaked
Price category: £10-£15
Producer: Marisco Vineyards
Medal: Gold
Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc, Te Muna Road 2015, Martinborough, New Zealand
What the judges said: “Quite delicate on the nose with a touch of citrus and smoke. Palate attractive with notes of lemon, lime and grapefruit, touch of leaf and smoke. Quite long on the finish and complex. Very good for its price.”
Style: 100% Sauvignon Blanc – Unoaked
Price category: £10-£15
Producer: Craggy Range
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Medal: Gold
Casas Del Toqui Coastal Vineyards, Sauvignon Blanc Paredones DO Colchagua Valley 2014, Paredones, Chile
What the judges said: “Herbaceous on the nose with notes of bell pepper and capsicum. Fresh and vibrant on the palate with a restrained, stony, mineral quality. Good weight and length.”
Style: 100% Sauvignon Blanc – Unoaked
Price category: £10-£15
Producer: Coastal Vineyards, Casas Del Toqui
Medal: Gold
Specialties Sauvignon Blanc 2015, San Antonio Valley, Chile
What the judges said: “Pungent herbaceous character on the nose with notes of bell pepper. Smooth on the palate with notes of passionfruit and a herbaceous quality carried through from nose. Fresh and zesty with good concentration and a long finish.”
Style: 100% Sauvignon Blanc – Unoaked
Price category: £10-£15
Producer: Santa Carolina
Medal: Gold
Hunter’s Kaho Roa Sauvignon Blanc 2013, Marlborough, New Zealand
What the judges said: “Notes of toast, oak and marshmallow on the nose. Same notes on the palate, as well as smoke, toast and grapefruit. Tight and fresh with great room for potential. Very good and great value.”
Style: 100% Sauvignon Blanc – Oaked
Price category: £10-£15
Producer: Hunter’s Wine
Medal: Gold
Brancott Estate Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014, Marlborough, New Zealand
What the judges said: “Fresh and vibrant on the nose with intense notes of passionfruit and gooseberry, as well as restrained herbal notes. Bright palate with plenty of crunchy fruit, green apple, lime and passionfruit. Clean with good length.”
Style: 100% Sauvignon Blanc – Unoaked
Price category: Under £10
Producer: Pernod Ricard UK
Medal: Gold
