On the eve of the First National Blanc Top Ten Sauvigon Bank competition, I Ubered off to the home counties AKA Constantia, to Nova Zonnestraal, for the launch of a new Sauvignon Blanc called Constantia Royale. Which made me think of Pulp Fiction and what the French call a quarter pounder with cheese.
On the subject of which, I didn’t hold back from the charcuterie and Camembert. For although invited to the FNB slap up awards lunch tomorrow, I declined as last year I was publicly savaged from the podium by a former SBIG secretary, Hermit on the Pill, in his personal capacity. A school of Sepp Blatter smarmy manipulator, Pill was put out by my pointing out his corrupt relationship with the chairman of judges of the tasting competition the previous year. The pair had a cosy cottage industry with the chairman recommending Pill’s wines for five star Platter glory. To Platter’s credit they did dispense with his tasting services once alerted to the conflict of interest.
Its an anecdote I still dine out on at ethical events, which the FNB do clearly is not. Nor one of good manners either, for how you can let your guests be insulted from the bully pulpit of the podium without an opportunity of reply, is beyond me. The FNB playing fields are not level, they’re downright vertiginous and a total disgrace. Shame on you SBIG, shame.
Besides, the FNB selection of Snow White and his Seven Dwarfs is a joke. Not only was the judging panel scandalously monochrome (#whitepanelsmustfall), but the wines they chose lack the colour green. They are an embarrassment to SA Sauvignon. What happened to Constantia and Cape Point in particular? Where is Olifants River and Darling? I’ll bet several of the “cool climate” wines from Rawsonville and Wellington will run out of steam before FNB bignobs unscrew them on their next golf weekend, paid for by grateful shareholders.
Meanwhile, back in the home counties, the 2015 Constantia Royale will suit the anti-green brigade as it is soft and tropical with thiols aplenty. Zonnestraal owner Lynne Rowand was glowing with pride at the launch earlier this evening and rightly so, for the wine is remarkably approachable, made from eight year old vines growing beneath the highway to Muizenberg.
Made by Roger Burton of Tierhoek fame at Steenberg, it is the latest addition to the Constantia family of Sauvignon Blancs so unfairly overlooked by SBIG and their hopelessly partial panel of dwarfs and self promoters.
