Sauvignon blanc is a chameleon grape, changing flavors greatly depending on how ripe its grapes are grown, how they are treated in the winery and a dozen other factors.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Taste enough sauvignon blancs, and you will find flavors of pineapple, apricot, peach, melon, fig, kiwi, fresh-cut lawn, lemon grass, grapefruit, lime, gooseberry, celery, oregano, pencil lead, gunflint and, finally, cat pee (in the good sense, I always hasten to say).
Here I present some varied sauvignon blancs, and I describe a few (but only a few) of the techniques growers and winemakers use to influence their flavors:
_ 2014 Kendall-Jackson "Vintner's Reserve" Sauvignon Blanc (91 percent sauvignon blanc, 7 percent semillon, 2 percent chardonnay): floral aromas, flavors of lemons, limes and minerals, crisp; $13.
KJ emulates a popular Bordeaux style wine by adding rich semillon grapes to tart sauvignon blanc grapes seeking a balanced wine; it seeks further complexity by also adding chardonnay grapes.
_ 2014 Capt�re Wines Sauvignon Blanc "Les Pionniers," Lake and Sonoma Counties, Calif. (100 percent sauvignon blanc): hint of oak, aromas and flavors of lemons, mangos and minerals, crisp, rich fruity finish; $45.
Capt�re winery seeks complexity by fermenting in stainless steel for lean crispness, then aging four months in French oak barrels, regularly stirring the lees (grape skin particles and other sediment) in the bottom of the barrel for more flavor and creaminess.
_ 2014 Galerie "Naissance" Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, Calif. (100 percent sauvignon blanc): aromas and flavors of citrus, ripe peaches and minerals, full body, long finish; $30.
Galerie uses grape clones from France's Loire Valley seeking flavors of peaches and tropical fruit.
_ 2014 Trinity Hill Sauvignon Blanc, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand (100 percent sauvignon blanc): aromas and flavors of citrus and freshly cut grass, crisp and lightly sweet; $17.
Trinity Hill leaves a hint of sweetness for a wine that goes well with spicy Asian dishes.
_ 2015 Mouton Cadet Sauvignon Blanc, by Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Bordeaux (100 percent sauvignon blanc): light body, intense flavors of grapefruit and minerals; $12.
The winery sources its grapes from the limestone soil of Bordeaux's Entre-Deux-Mers region seeking mineral-tinged flavors.
_ 2015 Kaiken Premium Wines "Terroir Series" Sauvignon Blanc, Mendoza, Argentina (100 percent sauvignon blanc): aromas and flavors of lemons, apricots and minerals, crisp and lively, fruity finish; $15.
Kaiken sources grapes from 4,500 feet up in the Andes Mountains seeking intense fruit flavors and crisp fruit acids.
_ 2014 Dry Creek Sauvignon Blanc "Taylor's Vineyard," Dry Creek Valley, Calif. (100 percent sauvignon blanc): floral aromas, intense flavors of ripe apricots, citrus and spice, rich, crisp and dry, full body; $28.
This wine shows the result of sourcing grapes from a single vineyard rather than more widely. "Taylor's Vineyard," named for the owner's daughter, produces grapes of lively fruitiness.
_ 2015 Chasing Venus Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand: light and lively, with aromas and lean flavors of gooseberries, lemon and kiwis; $16.
Sauvignon blancs from Marlborough have a refreshing, distinct, tangy, grapefruity flavor that critics have chosen to call "gooseberries." This writer bought a can of gooseberries, and it's true.
_ 2015 Franciscan Estate White Blend, Napa Valley, Calif. (69 percent sauvignon blanc, 17 percent chardonnay, 14 percent muscat canelli): aromas and flavors of tropical fruits, lightly sweet, rich and complex, long, fruity finish; $23.
Franciscan creates its own blend, adding chardonnay for richness and muscat canelli for sweetness.
