Sauvignon Bianco

The French grape variety has felt at home in the southern Eisack Valley since the end of the 19th century. At the Ebnerhof, Sauvignon grows on barren, stone-rich gravel and marl soil – it is precisely this sparseness that makes the difference. The Unterthiner family works with consistent yield regulation, manual defoliation and thinning out in order to obtain concentrated grape material. In the cellar, they rely on temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks to preserve the freshness typical of the variety.

Markus Prackwieser's Sauvignon vines grow on calcareous moraines with solid quartz porphyry at the foot of the Schlern massif, approx. 400-480 metres above sea level. Sparkling, light straw yellow colour. Very intense, appealing nose of tomato leaves, sage, a little thyme and white asparagus. Salty and freshly vibrant on the palate, densely woven, showing distinctly fragrant components, fine gooseberry, juicy and full of tension. SUPERIORE.DE

Fine Sauvignon Blanc from grapes grown on limestone gravel soils in Kurtatsch and loamy sandy soils in Völser Aicha. Rich flavours of elderflower, gooseberry, green pepper, sage and mint. An elegant wine, pleasantly mineral, fresh and juicy with well-balanced acidity. SUPERIORE.DE

Pale straw yellow with a sparkling lustre. Noble nuances of flint on the nose, mineral with beautiful citrus, grapefruit and gooseberry notes. Subtly creamy and taut on the palate, with beautiful precision and juiciness, the racy, long final is pleasantly fresh and slightly salty. SUPERIORE.DE

Enzo Barbi produces just 3,500 bottles of this flavoursome Sauvignon Bianco every year. It rises from the glass with a lovely freshness, while a delicate wave of lemongrass, chalk dust and sweet custard fills the senses. On the palate, it flows with silky texture and ripe, citrus-kissed orchard fruits accompanied by lively acidity. A hint of mint leaves and green peas lingers on the classically dry finish, while L'Inquisitore ends remarkably tangy and with a slight mineral bite. This extremely pretty Sauvignon Bianco from Umbria makes a rather light-footed first impression, but leaves a big impression. SUPERIORE.DE

Here comes a wine that completely tantalises the senses: Maximo is a sweet wine rarity based on Sauvignon Blanc, harvested at the height of the Villa Bianchi estate – where humidity and dry winds favour the noblest form of Botrytis cinerea. The grapes ripen on the cool Colli del Verdicchio before they are hand-picked several times and transferred to the cellar, where they are pressed particularly gently in a small Vaslin press basket. Spontaneous fermentation takes place at 15 °C for around a month. After static clarification, the wine matures in small stainless steel tanks for around a year.

The Lageder family now only makes one Sauvignon Bianco, and it belongs to the "Compositions" line. It gets its complexity from the wide variety of different clones in the vineyards. The majority of these are situated at an altitude of over 400 metres and are based on limestone soil on the one hand and volcanic weathered rock on the other. The different source rocks and the variety of vines led the Lageders to name the wine. This is because it consists of fragments from the best organic and biodynamic vineyards, which are married to form a whole. Its salinity and crisp freshness are highly drinkable and make this fresh and sublime South Tyrolean Sauvignon Blanc a very special experience. SUPERIORE.DE

A Sauvignon Blanc from the Collio that seduces rather than provokes. Pale straw yellow with a green tinge in the glass. The nose is complex but never overpowering: elderflower, grapefruit, green pepper, whitecurrant and a hint of sage. Juicy and precise on the palate, with lively acidity, firm structure and cool mineral depth. The maturation in stainless steel tanks emphasises the clarity and aromatic tension of the wine, without tipping over into a garish "gooseberry" flavour. A stylistically finely balanced Sauvignon that brings the potential of the Collio into the bottle with quiet sophistication and authentic terroir expression. Good ageing potential, as is to be expected with all Livio Felluga whites. SUPERIORE.DE

"ColMatìss" is truly no ordinary Sauvignon: it comes from one of the most renowned single vineyards in Tunella in the municipality of Ipplis and owes its name to the barren, limestone-rich marl soil, known as "ponca" in Friuli. The yields are deliberately kept low, the harvest selectively and the wine is matured carefully. Brilliant straw yellow in the glass with a greenish tinge. The bouquet is deep and complex, with fine notes of elderflower, salted lemon, ripe gooseberry, a hint of white pepper and wet stone – a Sauvignon with mineral depth and an expressive profile.

Some wines bear the name of a vineyard. This one bears the name of a family – and that is no coincidence. Serena Palazzolo e Figli: Serena and her sons. That sounds like a calling card, and that's exactly what it is. If you want to get to know Ronco del Gnemiz, if you want to understand how Christian Patat and his family work on the hill of Rosazzo, this is the place to start. Not with a "simple" entry-level wine, but with a promise. The grapes come from different plots on the estate – an assemblage that combines the best of each site. Organically farmed, harvested by hand and pressed as whole bunches. The must then ferments in used barriques and Liters barrels, without malolactic fermentation or bâtonnage. Christian Patat says: "Vinification is just the consequence of our work in the vineyard." A sentence that explains everything.

A Collio classic with a signature: Schiopetto's single-varietal Sauvignon Bianco comes from old vines around Capriva del Friuli - on marl and sandstone soils that are perfect for aromatic varieties. Hand-picking, a short maceration period and ageing in stainless steel tanks preserve freshness and precision. Pale yellow in colour with greenish reflections. The bouquet is intense but never loud: whitecurrant, salted lemon, elderflower, a hint of lemon balm and wet stone. Clear, straightforward and elegant on the palate, with lively acidity, salty minerality and a fine citrus flavour on the long finish. An exemplary Sauvignon from the Collio - full of tension, multi-layered and with noble restraint. A wine that emphasises its origins rather than superficial fruit. SUPERIORE.DE

The Pratzner family keeps a few hundred bottles of each good vintage, which are then matured in the cellar for a further 6 years. These refined wines are then sold in small quantities as "Private Reserves" to selected retailers and restaurants, demonstrating the impressive ageing potential of their wines, which are matured for 10 months on the fine lees. Strong straw yellow colour. Intense bouquet of gooseberry with a restrained hint of paprika. Full and juicy on the palate with grapefruit and citrus flavours and an interesting, stimulating spiciness. With an almost youthful freshness and juiciness, this multi-layered Riserva also glides into a wonderfully long, mineral finish. SUPERIORE.DE

The Winkl has been vinified as a single variety since 1956 – at a time when Sauvignon Blanc was still a rarity in South Tyrol. Winery manager Rudi Kofler says that this grape variety has always felt at home around the oldest farms in the Terlan DOC area. You believe him when you taste the wine. The vineyards lie at 280 to 580 metres above sea level, exposed to the south-southwest, on steep to very steep slopes. The soil is quartz porphyry – volcanic primary rock, crystalline-mineral, with a slightly acidic pH value and an almost natural self-limitation in yields. It is precisely this microstress that produces the terroir's own polyphenols, which give Terlano wines their characteristic saltiness and tension. No other soil, no other result. Hand-picked, gentle whole-cluster pressing, slow fermentation – then 7 to 8 months on the fine lees, 80 per cent in steel, 20 per cent in large wooden barrels. This silent wood component only serves the texture, it gives the wine substance without masking its origin.

Sauvignon Blanc Praesulis unfolds in the glass with hints of spicy herbs and lemon peel, accompanied by gooseberries, grapefruit and elderberries. Soothingly smooth and with a pleasant inner sweetness, it blends candied lemon with sour melon and lively acidity to create a bold but juicy style on the palate. It finishes with vibrant tension and decent length, leaving behind concentrated citrus and pretty inner flowers. Wonderfully elegant and balanced. SUPERIORE.DE

Probably the most precise expression of Sauvignon Bianco, which Volpe Pasini vinifies year after year, comes from the privileged single vineyard Zuc di Volpe. At high altitude near Togliano, on marl and calcareous flysch soils, the grape variety achieves a rare balance of aromatic richness, vibrant freshness and elegant texture. 2023 was a challenging but ultimately harmonious vintage: a cool spring and changeable weather until July demanded a great deal of sensitivity, but the stable, mild late summer produced concentrated, expressive grapes with a perfect acid structure. The wine is aged exclusively in stainless steel tanks and matures for several months on the fine lees, which gives it additional depth and balance.

Sparkling yellow-green colour. The elegant, floral-scented Sauvignon Bianco Mantele is irresistible, with beautiful varietal typicity and a pleasingly slender waistline. Fine mineral notes on the palate add playfulness and vibrancy, overall very juicy and fresh. SUPERIORE.DE

Giovanni Manetti's white exotic wine from the legendary Conca d'Oro in Panzano: "È per divertirmi", something for your own pleasure, as the patron of Fontodi likes to say with a grin. While his Sangiovese wines enjoy worldwide fame, one of the most beautiful Tuscan white wine rarities is made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the La Rota vineyards. The north-west facing plot has been strategically chosen: Here, the vegetation grows more slowly and the grapes are spared the intense summer heat of Tuscany. This organically certified rarity is produced in only 8,000 bottles per year. After manual harvesting, temperature-controlled fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks, with part of the wine being vinified in amphorae and untoasted barrels. The six-month maturation on the lees in steel tanks preserves the wine's characteristic purity and freshness.