Ten outstanding Sauvignon Blanc wines were lauded today (Wednesday, 22 October) as South Africa’s finest when the results of the 2014 FNB Sauvignon Blanc Top 10 were announced. The competition, presented by the Sauvignon Blanc Interest Group of South Africa (SBIG) with sponsorship from FNB, is the country’s foremost platform for producers of this noble cultivar to showcase and benchmark their wines.
A formidable team of wine judges representing various spheres of the industry had the arduous task of appraising close to 200 entries and whittling down the candidates to ten Sauvignon Blanc wines of true distinction.
Charles Hopkins, cellar master at De Grendel and well-known wine judge, acted as convenor of the 2014 evaluation panel which also included Master of Wine Cathy van Zyl, sommelier Miguel Chan, winemaker Richard Kershaw MW, Cape Wine Master Winnie Bowman, fine wine retailer James Pietersen and expert marketer Jacques Steyn.
This year’s Top 10 wines, in alphabetical order, are
1. Anura Sauvignon Blanc Reserve Unfiltered 2013
2. Boschendal Sauvignon Blanc Grand Vin Blanc 2014
3. Brampton Sauvignon Blanc 2014
4. Cape Point Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2013 (wooded)
5. Du Plevaux Private Collection Sauvignon Blanc 2014
6. Hermit on the Hill The Infidel Sauvignon Blanc 2012 (wooded)
7. KWV The Mentors Sauvignon Blanc (Darling) 2013
8. Nederburg Arnold Graue The Young Airhawk Sauvignon Blanc 2013 (wooded)
9. Spier 21 Gables Sauvignon Blanc 2013
10. Zevenwacht 360° Sauvignon Blanc 2013
“The FNB Sauvignon Blanc Top 10 competition is a tribute to producers who continue to create wines of remarkable quality. The competition is designed to inspire and recognise excellence among local Sauvignon Blanc producers, and we are delighted with the positive response of all the participants. FNB congratulates the winners of this year’s competition on their world-class innovation and diverse wine-making skills,” said Stephan Claassen, FNB Business Provincial Head: Western Cape.
Commenting on the results SBIG chairman Thys Louw says, “The results bears testimony to diversity. The winning wines, made with grapes originating from a broad range of producing areas including Darling, Cape Point and Stellenbosch, represent a plethora of Sauvignon Blanc styles and flavour profiles.”
Find the latest SBIG news on www.sauvignonblanc.com.