Sauvignon Blanc tasting notes: a worked example
See what a structured Sauvignon Blanc tasting note looks like, line by line, then fill in the blank sheet for the bottle in your glass.
A Sauvignon Blanc tasting note, line by line
This is a worked example of how a note can read for the typical style of the grape. It is not a review of one bottle. Your wine will differ, so write what you find.
| Line of the note | What a typical Sauvignon Blanc note says |
|---|---|
| Appearance Colour and depth | Write what you see. Colour changes with the bottle and the vintage, so no grape guide can fill this line in for you. |
| Nose Fruit | Gooseberry, grapefruit, passion fruit and white peach. |
| Nose Green notes | Freshly cut grass, nettles and elderflower. In the cooler Loire Valley these lead. In Marlborough, New Zealand, they run from green bean and asparagus in less ripe wines to guava and mango in riper ones. |
| Palate Sweetness | Dry. |
| Palate Acidity | High. |
| Palate Body | Medium-light. |
| Palate Alcohol | Usually 11.5 to 13.5% ABV. Check the label. |
| Conclusions Where it is from | Loire Valley in France and Marlborough in New Zealand are the best-known homes. Chile and South Africa also make it. |
The same note in two sentences
Dry, with high acidity and a medium-light body. Gooseberry and grapefruit on the nose, with cut grass and a touch of passion fruit. Fresh and zesty rather than rich.
What to look for
- Tick the green-fruit and herbaceous aromas (gooseberry, grass, asparagus) as well as the citrus ones. They are what many people find first in Sauvignon Blanc.
- Acidity is the line to judge carefully. Does your mouth water, and along which part of your tongue?
- Some Bordeaux-style Sauvignon Blanc is blended with Sémillon and fermented in barrel. It is richer and less assertive, so expect a different note.
Now write your own
Fill this in for the bottle in front of you. It saves on your device only. Nothing is sent to us.
Questions
What does Sauvignon Blanc taste like?
Typically gooseberry, grapefruit, passion fruit and white peach, with cut grass, nettles or asparagus in the greener styles. It is usually dry with high acidity.
Why does New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc smell different from Loire Sauvignon Blanc?
Decanter describes the Loire style as fragrant and zingy, with cut grass, gooseberry, flint and nettles. Marlborough is more assertive, from green bean and asparagus to ripe grapefruit, guava and passion fruit, depending on ripeness.
How do I write a Sauvignon Blanc tasting note?
Work in the same order every time: look, nose, palate, then your conclusions. Start with the broad aroma family (citrus, green, tropical), then name the detail. The blank sheet on this page follows that order.
Sources
The typical aromas, structure and regions above come from these grape guides.