Seven organic Sauvignon Blanc for summer sipping

Seven organic Sauvignon Blanc for summer sipping From fruity and tropical to stony and herbal, there's a Sauvignon style for everyone, if you know where to look. These organic examples are perfect for summer. I’m not a Sauvignon Blanc denier, but I am all too often disappointed with thin, one-dimensional examples. At its best, however, Sauvignon Blanc can be gorgeously textural and expressive, with weight but no heaviness, and richness balanced by salinity and succulence. Its aromatic and zingy nature makes it one of the world’s most popular grape varieties, and flavours and aromas vary depending on where and how it's grown – climate, pruning and trellising systems, even the yeast strains used in fermentation. Expect anything from tropical and exotic to citrusy and zesty, grassy and herby, or stony and mineral. Organic Sauvignon Blanc – not an easy task Despite its popularity, Sauvignon Blanc is fairly tricky to grow, and needs careful work in the vineyard to keep it healthy. ‘Sauvignon is relatively complex to work organically or biodynamically,’ says Jonathan Didier Pabiot, a biodynamic winemaker in Sancerre. 'It's sensitive to powdery and downy mildew, so in humid years treatments have to be very regular.' Get our daily fine wine reviews, latest wine ratings, news and travel guides delivered straight to your inbox. Yet Pabiot says the vine's flower is very sensitive to copper, which is problematic for organic growers because copper-based Bordeaux mixture is one of the only permitted fungicides used to protect against powdery mildew. For Pabiot, Sauvignon Blanc's very sensitivity to climate and disease stressors is what makes it so responsive to biodynamic farming. ‘Biodynamics helps us overcome these climatic risks, but it isn't magic either,' he says. ‘What it does do is help build living soil.' Biodynamic winemakers in Languedoc Patricia and Luc Bertoni believe that it is precisely the nearly 20 years of organic farming that has made their Sauvignon particularly resilient to disease. My Sauvignon Blanc moment The moment I realised the heights and depths that great Sauvignon could reach was when tasting Andreas Tscheppe’s Blue Dragonfly, from south Styria in Austria, near the border with Slovenia. Tscheppe and his wife Elisabeth farm their terraced vineyards biodynamically, at 500m altitude. These vineyards, like the wines, are full of life: picture lush vegetation, myriad plants, weeds, flowers, grasses, bugs, beetles, bees, dragonflies and birds. Fermented with natural yeasts and minimal sulphur, and aged for almost two years in large old barrels, it tastes like wildflowers and wild grasses, sun-warmed orchard fruit, lemon and brine, with an intricate texture like a crispy snowflake. For me, this is one of the purest, most stripped back and alive versions of Sauvignon Blanc – far removed from the pungent blast of Marlborough. Of course, not everyone is looking for this hyper textural, nuanced version of the grape. Sauvignon has become something of a celebrity accessory,: Gary Barlow and Graham Norton both have their own brands, though Taylor Swift has, tellingly, traded up to Sancerre. Has the grape’s cultural moment peaked? Not if this summer’s internet wine trend is anything to go by – dropping frozen dill pickles into a glass of Sauvignon Blanc suggests it’s found a new, slightly unhinged lease of life. Either way, here are seven delicious organic bottles to satisfy the Sauvignon-seekers this summer – pickle optional, but not advised. Seven Sauvignon for summer sipping Champagne vs Prosecco: What’s the difference? White grapes quiz: 12 questions to test your wine knowledge Perfect wines for 'picky bits': Expert pairing advice for al fresco summer grazing Pascal Jolivet, Clos Du Roy, Sancerre, Loire, France, 2023 From a single vineyard, the nose is quite subtle, showing mostly orchard fruit, yellow apple and medlar. The palate is also quite delicate, with pear,... 2023 LoireFrance Pascal JolivetSancerre Join Decanter Premium to unlock all our wines tastings and notes Join NowJonathan Didier Pabiot, Aubaine, Pouilly-Fumé, Loire, 2022 Ripe and rich aromas, spanning pineapple, stone fruit, mango, a touch of honey, then a really viscous and plump palate. It's incredibly concentrated, like mango... 2022 LoireFrance Jonathan Didier PabiotPouilly-Fumé Join Decanter Premium to unlock all our wines tastings and notes Join NowChâteau Sicot, Bordeaux Blanc, Bordeaux, France, 2024 Golden in colour, hinting at a richer style. The nose leans strongly toward tropical fruit, with passion fruit and mango alongside a striking note of... 2024 BordeauxFrance Château SicotBordeaux Blanc Join Decanter Premium to unlock all our wines tastings and notes Join NowDomaine Les Eminades, Silice, Pays d'Hérault, 2024 Aromas of green apple, fresh-cut grass and lime, underpinned by a striking mineral streak. There is something almost mountain-stream fresh about it, with crisp acidity... 2024 Languedoc-RoussillonFrance Domaine Les EminadesPays d'Hérault Join Decanter Premium to unlock all our wines tastings and notes Join NowBodega Santa Cruz de Alpera, Cueva del Chamán, Almansa, 2025 Sauvignon Blanc packed with aromas of pineapple, grapefruit and orange peel alongside an almost cotton-candy floral lift. The palate is bright and tangy, with plenty... 2025 Castilla-La ManchaSpain Bodega Santa Cruz de AlperaAlmansa Join Decanter Premium to unlock all our wines tastings and notes Join NowBodegas Camino Alto, Sauvignon Blanc, 2024 Bright and appealing, offering aromas of mango, pineapple and citrus peel. The palate is concentrated, balancing ripe tropical fruit with some freshness and texture. Notes... 2024 Castilla-La ManchaSpain Bodegas Camino Alto Join Decanter Premium to unlock all our wines tastings and notes Join NowCan Vallès, Sauvigneron, Penedès, Catalonia, Spain, 2023 Clean, focused and understated Sauvignon Blanc from northern Spain's Penedès. Aromas of apple and wet stone lead to a racy palate that has succulent acidity.... 2023 CataloniaSpain Can VallèsPenedès Join Decanter Premium to unlock all our wines tastings and notes Join NowNatalie is Decanter's France editor, commissioning and writing content on French wines (excluding Bordeaux) across print and digital. She writes Decanter's coverage of Languedoc wines, as well as a monthly magazine column, The Ethical Drinker, which unpicks the thorny topic of sustainability in wine. She joined Decanter in 2016. Want all the latest news on Decanter’s French wine content? Subscribe to Natalie’s monthly France newsletter here.