Winemaker Notes
The classic! This Sauvignon Blanc continues Brander’s legacy of producing crisp, expressive whites from Santa Barbara County. Sourced from our estate vineyard and a selection of neighboring sites, this wine showcases bright, refreshing notes of grapefruit and nectarine. A remarkable value and their most popular bottling, it reflects over five decades of dedication to Santa Barbara’s premier white grape.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2025 Sauvignon Blanc (Santa Barbara County) is a bright, nervy, energized white. A touch of tropicality announces itself first, before cut grass, lime, green apple, chalk and mango explode onto a steely yet creamy finish. This is everything Sauvignon Blanc should be in Santa Barbara County.
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James Suckling
This light-bodied wine feels fresh and tastes like green apples and lemon zest. Brisk acidity and mineral accents add to the crisp fruit and light herb flavors.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
With a dry and mild climate cooled significantly by moist ocean fog and breezes, Santa Barbara County is a grape-grower’s dream. Part of the larger Central Coast appellation, Santa Barbara is home to Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley. The conditions here provide an opportunity for nearly effortless production of high-quality cool-climate Central Coast wines. This is also the site of the 2004 film Sideways, which caused Pinot Noir’s popularity to skyrocket and brought new acclaim to the region.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the stars of Santa Barbara, producing wines marked by racy acidity. Crisp Sauvignon Blanc and savory Syrah are also important. The region is home to many young and enthusiastic winemakers eager to experiment with less common varieties including Chenin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Trousseau Gris, Gamay and Cabernet Franc, making it an exciting area to watch.