Comparison
English Bacchus vs Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
How English Bacchus and Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc differ, dimension by dimension.
The short answer
The main differences: English Bacchus has more sweetness; Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc has more acidity; Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc has more body.
Choose
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
Choose Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc if you want something fresher and more acidic, fuller and richer, fruitier.
Where they genuinely differ
Only differences large enough to notice in the glass are listed here. A gap of half a point on a five-point scale is noise, and WineHQ does not dress it up as a finding.
Sweetness
Clear differencePerceived sugar in the finished wine, driven mainly by residual sugar but modified by acidity, alcohol and fruit ripeness.
English Bacchus is sweeter: low-medium against low.
Acidity
Clear differenceTotal perceived acidity. Rises in cooler climates and with earlier picking; falls with heat and ripeness.
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is fresher and more acidic: high against medium-plus.
Body
Clear differenceThe overall weight and viscosity of the wine in the mouth — a composite of alcohol, sugar, extract and glycerol.
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is fuller and richer: medium against low-medium.
Fruit intensity
Clear differenceHow loudly the fruit flavours speak, independent of whether they are ripe or tart.
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is fruitier: high against medium-plus.
Aromatic intensity
Clear differenceHow strongly the wine smells before it is tasted. Some grapes are intrinsically aromatic; others express mainly on the palate.
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is more aromatic: high against medium-plus.
Floral character
Clear differenceBlossom, rose, violet, elderflower, acacia and related aromatic notes.
English Bacchus is more floral: medium-plus against medium.
Where they are much the same
Just as useful: knowing which parts of the choice do not matter.
- Tannin: Similar — both low.
- Alcohol: Similar — both medium.
- Oak influence: Similar — both low-medium.
- Savoury character: Similar — both low-medium.
- Spice: Similar — both low.
Full side by side
| Dimension | English Bacchus | Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc |
|---|---|---|
| Sweetness | typically low-medium, ranging from low to low-medium (2/5) | typically low, ranging from low to low-medium (1/5) |
| Acidity | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) |
| Body | typically low-medium, ranging from low to medium (2/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium (3/5) |
| Fruit intensity | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) |
| Aromatic intensity | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) |
| Floral character | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium (3/5) |
| Herbal / green character | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) |
| Tannin | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Alcohol | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Oak influence | typically low-medium, ranging from low to low-medium (2/5) | typically low-medium, ranging from low to low-medium (2/5) |
| Savoury character | low-medium (2/5) | low-medium (2/5) |
| Spice | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Earthy character | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Perceived freshness | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) |
| Carbonation | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Texture | typically low-medium, ranging from low to medium (2/5) | typically low-medium, ranging from low to medium (2/5) |
| Serve at | 8–10°C | 7–10°C |
| Typical flavours | elderflower, nettle, grapefruit, gooseberry, green apple | passionfruit, gooseberry, grapefruit, cut grass, green capsicum |
Values are typical points within each wine’s range. Both wines vary — see the individual pages for how much.
Read more
Style
English Bacchus
England’s signature still white: elderflower, nettle and grapefruit — often compared to Sauvignon Blanc, but its own thing.
Style
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
Explosively aromatic passionfruit, gooseberry and cut grass — a flavour that had no real precedent when it appeared in the 1980s.
Comparison
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Comparison
Marlborough vs Chilean Sauvignon Blanc
The tropical style and the cheaper alternative to it — how close?