Top 10 best Sauvignon Blancs, from Mendoza to Marlborough

E's Vino's Histeria Sauvignon Blanc de Ánfora 2021 is the most complete Sauvignon in this ranking: the tension of a high-altitude white and the texture of a wine for fine dining. The vines, planted in 1998 at 1,200 metres on Mendoza's limestone and gravel soils, are harvested by hand. Fermented in stainless steel with native yeasts, with malolactic blocked to keep its liveliness, the wine then spends 12 months in amphora. The clay lets it breathe like an old barrel while remaining neutral in taste: the palate gains structure, the fruit stays clean (grapefruit, lime, pineapple, walnut). €59.00 a bottle, to keep ten years or more.

Tetramythos's Sauvignon blanc nature 2023 is the Greek surprise of the ranking: a high-altitude Sauvignon, broad and deep, that shows the grape under a Mediterranean sun. The vines, at 1,100 metres on the red soils (terra rossa) of the Aigialia mountains in the Peloponnese, are farmed organically and harvested by hand. Fermentation in stainless steel with native yeasts, then 12 months in old barriques. Next to the Histeria, it shares the altitude and long ageing, with riper fruit and a broader palate. €25.90 a bottle, sold in boxes of 6, with five to ten years' ageing potential.

Clos Henri Vineyard's Otira 2024 is the Marlborough Sauvignon that speaks with a Loire accent: the estate belongs to the Bourgeois family, winegrowers in the Loire, who farm their New Zealand vines biodynamically. This cuvée comes from a selection of the estate's best plots. It shows ripe citrus, tropical fruit and white flowers, held by a mineral grain reminiscent of the Centre-Loire. Its structure makes it a white for the table, at ease with roast turbot or a matured goat's cheese. €36.00 a bottle, sold in sets of 3, to drink within five to ten years.

Greywacke's Wild Sauvignon Blanc 2021 is the Marlborough that strays furthest from the codes of the style: fermented for more than six months in old barriques, then aged eight months on fine lees in tank. The grapes come from several vineyards in the Wairau Valley (Woodbourne, Renwick, Rapaura), on alluvium, marine rock and clay. The nose blends peach, passion fruit, candied citrus peel, elderflower, shortbread and lemon thyme; the palate is fresh and dense, with a long, mineral finish. Spicier and more textured than the Otira. €31.65 a bottle, sold in boxes of 6.

Dog Point's Section 94 2018 is the ageing Sauvignon of the ranking: a plot of old vines planted in 1992, farmed organically and harvested by hand, fermented with native yeasts and aged 18 months in old French oak barrels. At eight years old, it shows notes of lemon, peach, apricot, toasted almond, flint and honey, on a slightly creamy texture with a saline finish. It is the richest of the barrel-aged Sauvignons on the list (14%), a wine for the table that can still wait ten years. €37.00 a bottle, sold in sets of 3.

Southern Right's Sauvignon Blanc 2025 is the best value for money in this ranking: a pure, straight, saline Sauvignon at €20.90 a bottle, sold in sets of 3. The vineyard lies three kilometres from the ocean, on South Africa's Cape South Coast; this cool maritime climate lengthens ripening and gives very clean fruit. The nose is intense: grapefruit, lime, gooseberry, cut grass, oyster shell. After the barrel-aged wines ahead of it, it returns to tank-made Sauvignon, lively and immediate, to drink within five years.

Seresin Estate's Sauvignon Blanc 2023 is the most faithful version of the Marlborough style in this ranking, only more precise. The grapes come mainly from the Wairau Valley, on alluvial gravels and pebbles, from organic and biodynamic plots picked by hand. Fermentation in tank and neutral barrels with native yeasts, ageing on fine lees with some bâtonnage: the fruit stays bright (citrus, tropical fruit) and the palate gains texture. At 12.5%, it is one of the lightest on the list, with a saline finish. €28.60 a bottle, sold in boxes of 6.

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars' Aveta 2023 is the Californian Sauvignon to give as a gift: a historic Napa Valley name, in a fresh, precise style. A large share of the grapes comes from Carneros, the coolest part of the valley, cooled by breezes from San Pablo Bay. The wine ferments at low temperature in stainless-steel tanks, a small share goes into barrel for texture, then it rests for a few months on fine lees. Citrus, tropical fruit and stone fruit, a floral touch, a taut finish. €55.40 a bottle, sold in sets of 2, to drink within five years.

Elizabeth Spencer's Sauvignon Blanc 2024 is California at its freshest and easiest to drink. The grapes come from cool plots in the Napa Valley, in the North Coast, on gravels, silts and alluvium, under the influence of sea breezes. Low-temperature fermentation and ageing on fine lees, all in stainless-steel tanks: the wine keeps a clean profile, citrus, stone fruit and tropical fruit, with lively acidity that lengthens the palate. More direct than the Aveta and almost half the price: €29.00 a bottle, sold in boxes of 6.

Te Mata Estate's Sauvignon Blanc 2022 closes the ranking with the other face of New Zealand: Hawke's Bay, on the North Island, with a warmer climate than Marlborough. The fruit is riper here (passion fruit, guava, grapefruit, pear, lime), with linden blossom and fresh acidity holding it all together. The palate is concentrated, with fine mineral notes and delicate length. It is the most exotic Sauvignon on the list, to serve as an aperitif or with lightly spiced Asian food. €21.90 a bottle, sold in boxes of 6.