Comparison
Sauvignon Blanc vs Chardonnay
The two most popular white grapes — which is crisper, and which is richer?
The short answer
The main differences: Sauvignon Blanc has more herbal / green character; Sauvignon Blanc has more aromatic intensity; Chardonnay has more texture.
Choose
Sauvignon Blanc
Choose Sauvignon Blanc if you want something more herbal and green, more aromatic, fresher and more acidic.
Choose
Chardonnay
Choose Chardonnay if you want something rounder and creamier in texture, fuller and richer.
Worth knowing
This comparison is complicated by the fact that Chardonnay covers a far wider range than Sauvignon Blanc. Unoaked Chablis and buttery Californian Chardonnay are both Chardonnay, and only one of them is a fair contrast with Sauvignon Blanc. The bands on the Chardonnay side are correspondingly wide.
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.
Herbal / green character
Clear differenceHerbs, grass, blackcurrant leaf, capsicum and other green notes, largely driven by methoxypyrazines and picking decisions.
Sauvignon Blanc is more herbal and green: medium-plus against low.
Aromatic intensity
Clear differenceHow strongly the wine smells before it is tasted. Some grapes are intrinsically aromatic; others express mainly on the palate.
Sauvignon Blanc is more aromatic: high against medium.
Texture
Clear differenceMouthfeel independent of weight — from lean and cutting through to creamy, waxy or velvety. Driven by lees contact, malolactic conversion, skin contact and ageing.
Chardonnay is rounder and creamier in texture: medium-plus against low-medium.
Acidity
Clear differenceTotal perceived acidity. Rises in cooler climates and with earlier picking; falls with heat and ripeness.
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.
Chardonnay is fuller and richer: medium-plus against medium.
Fruit intensity
Clear differenceHow loudly the fruit flavours speak, independent of whether they are ripe or tart.
Sauvignon Blanc is fruitier: medium-plus against medium.
Where they are much the same
Just as useful: knowing which parts of the choice do not matter.
- Sweetness: Similar — both low.
- Tannin: Similar — both low.
- Alcohol: Similar — both medium.
- Floral character: Similar — both low-medium.
- Earthy character: Similar — both low.
Full side by side
| Dimension | Sauvignon Blanc | Chardonnay |
|---|---|---|
| Herbal / green character | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) | low (1/5) |
| Aromatic intensity | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Texture | typically low-medium, ranging from low to medium (2/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from low-medium to high (4/5) |
| Acidity | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from low-medium to high (4/5) |
| Body | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium (3/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from low-medium to high (4/5) |
| Fruit intensity | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Oak influence | typically low-medium, ranging from low to medium (2/5) | typically medium, ranging from low to high (3/5) |
| Savoury character | typically low-medium, ranging from low to medium (2/5) | typically medium, ranging from low to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Spice | low (1/5) | typically low-medium, ranging from low to medium (2/5) |
| Perceived freshness | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from low-medium to high (4/5) |
| Sweetness | typically low, ranging from low to low-medium (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Tannin | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Alcohol | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Floral character | typically low-medium, ranging from low to medium (2/5) | typically low-medium, ranging from low to medium (2/5) |
| Earthy character | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Carbonation | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Serve at | 9–12°C | 12–15°C |
| Typical flavours | gooseberry, grapefruit, passionfruit, cut grass, green bell pepper | green apple, lemon, white peach, pineapple, hazelnut |
Values are typical points within each wine’s range. Both wines vary — see the individual pages for how much.
Read more
Grape
Sauvignon Blanc
A pungently aromatic variety whose character swings from flinty and restrained in the Loire to explosively tropical in Marlborough.
Grape
Chardonnay
The most adaptable white grape in the world, and the one most often blamed for what winemakers do to it.
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