International Sauvignon Blanc Day: California rising plus 15 wines to try

An alluring Sauvignon Blanc from the Stonestreet Estate's Cougar Ridge Vineyard grown at 300m in elevation. The wine was fermented in stainless steel and various oak vessels, French, Austrian and German in origin. The aromatics are ripe stone fruit, sweet florals and a touch of savoury grasses underlined by wet chalk. The palate offers lush lemon cream, kefir lime leaf, beeswax and crushed limestone. Delicious.

Feral aromatics from this 'white wine for red wine drinkers' crafted from cooler sites in both Yountville and Coombsville districts—notes of wet stone, crushed chalk, and petrichor are met with candied ginger. The palate is fleshy yet vibrant. Striking flavours of lemon creme, honeyed pear, melon and subtle notes of oak. Delicious.

An utterly delicious Sauvignon Blanc from the famed Russian River Chardonnay site, Ritchie Vineyard. This wine offers fresh, ripe fruit aromatics of apricot, and 100% oak fermentation gives the aromas richness and a touch of spice. The palate is sumptuous. Fleshy grilled peach, ripe pineapple, and delicious lemon cream dominate the flavour profile with an underlying flinty minerality. Gorgeous wine.

A beautifully balanced, undeniably elegant wine from the Attelas Vineyard. Gorgeous aromatics of cut stone fruit, lemon cream and acacia flowers. The palate is simply lovely and shows absolute refinement. Flavours of cut ripe peach, creamy lemon meringue, bright orange peel and touches of honey. This wine has great complexity, volume and lift.

As part of Aperture's Soil Series, winemaker Jesse Katz looks for specific expressions of soil types in the wine. The blend of barrel fermentation and Sémillon makes this rich, creamy Bordeaux-style take on California Sauvignon Blanc a winner—aromas of nutmeg and honey from the understated oak accent elements of baked apple and stone. The body is rich, with honeyed pear flavours, beeswax, savoury thyme and grilled peaches. This is a wonderful wine that balances body with a brilliant finish.

The iconic Napa producer fermented this Sauvignon Blanc in French oak, small stainless steel barrels, clay amphora, and ceramic and concrete cuves. Intense sweet peach aromas leap forth, followed by tarragon, sea foam and lemon zest notes. The palate is fresh with pronounced citrus flavours, followed by ripe apricot and briny minerality.

A single-vineyard Sauvignon Blanc from Sonoma's Alexander Valley, this offering from Stonestreet is a study in complexity—aromas of smoky flint, key lime, crushed chalk and apricot flesh. The palate is rich yet so vibrant. It is layered with flavours of savoury herbs, citrus peel, stone fruit and flinty minerality. The texture is sublime, the finish seemingly endless.

Turnbull's Josephine is made in French and acacia wood, along with concrete and amphora, and the results are glorious—aromatics of delicate white flowers, apricot skin and petrichor. The palate is layered, elegant and fresh. Flavours of tangy lemon cream, fresh-cut apricot, a touch of smoky flint and almond skin mark a palate with nuance and balance.

A myriad of fermentation vessels makes for a classically bright Sauvignon Blanc with ample body and richness. Blended with a small percentage of Sémillon, it's a wine with fresh florals, bright acidity, and some depth and viscosity—aromas of ripe peach, beeswax, pollen, and lanolin open into a palate marked by rich texture. Flavours of honeyed pear, chamomile, hazelnut skin and ripe nectarine show a wine that has real ageing potential.

Blending with just under 10% Sémillon gives this bright Sauvignon Blanc a touch of roundness and body. Aromatics of lean stone fruits, lime zest and cut grass. The palate is amply textured; smoky flint minerality underscores the palate framing candied lemon peel, pineapple and bruised apples.

From Rutherford, Bella Union uses a mix of fermentation vessels to impart body and retain freshness with this Sauvignon Blanc—aromatics of cut grass, wet stone and citrus pith. The palate offers freshness with ample phenolic ripeness. Flavours of cut honeydew melon, wet slate, ripe nectarine and lemon zest.

Grown on Mt Veeder between 600-700m, this Sauvignon Blanc balances high acidity with phenolic ripeness. Aromas of honeycomb, ripe pear and an oak-influenced hint of nutmeg introduce a palate marked by ripe stone fruit, a touch of cinnamon and flinty minerality.

Wildly aromatic, this Sauvignon Blanc offers effusive ripe fruits; apricot and peach lead into cut melon crushed limestone and slight hints of jasmine. The palate sings with bright freshness. There is lemon cream, candied orange peel and a flinty character that frames the wine's elegant texture; the finish is long and lingering.

Fresh and fruit-forward Sauvignon Blanc from the esteemed Napa estate. Classic aromatics of smoky flint, cut Granny Smith apple and lemon zest. The palate is lively, balancing fresh citrus flavours with flinty aromatics of wet stone.

A lean, angular classic take on Sauvignon Blanc with steely aromas of cut grass, green apple lemon zest and wet slate. The palate is crisp and lithe, flinty mineral undertones give way to early-season peach, nectarine and apricots flavours.