Best Sauvignon Blanc for drinking now

Fransola is one of my perennial favourite oak-aged Sauvignon Blancs. It has always come from one of Torres’ best and highest vineyards in Penedès with a variety of clay-based soils. According to Torres’ head winemaker Josep Sabarich, the oak has been pared back in recent years and a fresher style has emerged. That is certainly the case with the 2015, which has appealingly crisp acidity balanced by complex grassy notes alongside peach, pear and fennel. There’s just the right amount of weight here, with a dry and faintly creamy finish. Beautifully judged and delicious to drink, especially with seafood and chicken dishes.

Anyone who thinks there's only one style of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc will have their eyes (nose and tastebuds too) opened by this more intellectual – perhaps more old world – expression of the style. Where the regular Sauvignon Blanc brings the colour green to mind, this is more about yellow (but not in an over-the-top oaky sense). Fruit from three Marlborough sub-regions is harvested and 100% whole-bunch pressed. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts in mainly old French oak barriques, followed by 15 months in oak and another 18 months in bottle prior to release gives Te Koko texture, weight and complexity. Honeysuckle, dried herbs and yellow florals mingle with the stone fruit and citrus pith that you expect from Sauvignon Blanc. Great aromatics and a lovely herby juiciness. Would be fantastic with lobster.

From high elevation vineyards, where yields are kept down and the grapes are hand-picked. This features crisply-scented lemon and bell pepper aromas with a hint of apricot. It's really well balanced in the mouth, the succulent but saline citrus fruit backed up by richer hints of stone fruit and tangerine, alongside a layer of wafting herbs. Very elegant.

It’s all about the ‘positive corruption’ in this wine, according to winemaker Matt Sutherland, son of founding partner and ex-Cloudy Bay man Ivan Sutherland. His wine is new-wave Marlborough Savvy: mouthwatering and expressive, flinty, textured, savoury. Ageworthy, too.

The London IT industry’s loss was Elgin’s gain when Marion and Brian Smith upped sticks and launched a biodynamic wine estate. This is a complex, spicy, highly original Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon blend with beautiful texture, huge energy and a delightfully funky edge.

Always one of Marlborough’s top Sauvignon Blancs, made by former Cloudy Bay winemaker Kevin Judd. It has gentle tropical and citrus aromas and flavours, and the complex layers mean that each sip reveals a little more. A very stylish wine.

The family domaine of Hubert Brochard is located in Chavignol and consistently produces top quality Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. This has pure, mouthwatering acidity, with flavours of grapefruit and quince, and cleansing mineral flavours on the finish.

The fruit for this brilliant, food friendly Sauvignon Blanc comes from south-facing slopes at the top of the property, grown on decomposed Table Mountain granite. It has a bright, glinting colour and punchy aromatics, while on the palate there’s plenty of citrus, gooseberry and guava. There's a nice harmony of gentle weight and texture, with tensile, tingling acidity to excite and delight. It's mineral, dry, pure and flinty, with a very long and classy finish.

Pungent Sauvignon characters evident on the nose with notes of white flowers and nettles, interspersed with burly hints of grapefruit, lanolin and oil. Brisk acidity on the palate, fresh with good purity, but lacking a little harmony at the moment. Will improve.

This is exactly what Touraine Sauvignon should be: refreshing, zesty, aromatic - and all for under a tenner. The palate is unpretentious, with grassy and gooseberry characters and enough depth to leave you wanting more. This is the perfect wine to have on standby in your fridge, and I'd drink it any day over similarly priced Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc.

From a single vineyard site, harvested at night to avoid the heat of the day and capture the grapes with all of their acidity. A small proportion was fermented in oak for added complexity, but the overall style is crisp and fresh. Grass and citrus flavours are backed up by black pepper, orange and dried mango notes. Delicious.

From producer Brent Maris, this shows classic varietal characters of tangy nettles, hints of passion fruit and a fresh spine of acidity. As a magnum you could age it for a bit, but best to enjoy now at your next alfresco gathering. New Zealand is doing great things with Chardonnay, Riesling and other 'alternative' whites, but there's no doubt Sauvignon Blanc – especially from Marlborough – is a perennial crowd pleaser. And what better than a magnum at a great price?