Ten exceptional Sauvignon Blanc wines were revealed as South Africa’s finest on Friday, 23 October at the prestigious Val de Vie estate when the results of the 2015 FNB Sauvignon Blanc Top 10 were announced. The competition, presented by the Sauvignon Blanc Interest Group of South Africa (SBIG) and sponsored by FNB, is the country’s foremost platform for producers of this noble cultivar to showcase and benchmark their wines.
A formidable team of seven wine judges representing various spheres of the industry had the demanding task of evaluating 234 entries and narrowing down the Sauvignon Blanc contenders to a mere 10 wines of true finesse and distinction.
Charles Hopkins, cellar master at De Grendel and well-known wine judge, acted as convenor of the 2015 evaluation panel which included the likes of Cathy van Zyl: Master of Wine, Richard Kershaw: winemaker and MW, Winnie Bowman: Cape Wine Master, Trizanne Barnard: winemaker and entrepreneur behind Trizanne Signature Wines, Christian Eedes: wine writer and online Wine Mag editor and Narina Cloete: winemaker and experienced wine judge.
This year’s Top 10 wines, in alphabetical order, are
- Cederberg Private Cellar Sauvignon Blanc 2015
- Jordan Wine Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2014
- Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Sur Lie Sauvignon Blanc 2015
- Merwida Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2015
- Mooiplaas Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2015
- Nederburg Two Centuries Sauvignon Blanc 2014 (wooded)
- Overhex Wines Survivor Sauvignon Blanc 2015 (wooded)
- Spier 21 Gables Sauvignon Blanc 2015
- Tokara Reserve Collection Elgin Sauvignon Blanc 2015
- Uva Mira Sing-a-Wing Sauvignon Blanc 2015
“The FNB Sauvignon Blanc Top 10 competition is a testament to the depth of wine-making talent we have in South Africa and the remarkable quality of wine in this year’s competition will no doubt inspire others to aspire to similar heights next year. FNB congratulates the winners of this year’s competition on their world-class achievements 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 bear testimony to diversity. The winning wines, made with grapes originating from a broad range of producing areas, represent a plethora of Sauvignon Blanc styles and flavour profiles.”
Good news for ardent Sauvignon Blanc lovers is that the FNB Top 10 Sauvignon Blanc collection, including one bottle of each of the winning wines, will be sold exclusively through the Wine of the Month Club. For more information, contact Lynn Freemand on tel 086 111 9463 or via e-mail [email protected]
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Left to right Stephan Claassen (FNB), Ben Snyman (Overhex), Magnus Kriel (Merwida), Sjaak Nelson (Jordan), Miles Mossop (Tokara), Natasha Boks (Nederburg), Thys Louw (SBIG), Alex Nel (Cederberg), Jacques Erasmus (Spier), Christiaan Coetzee (Uva Mira), RJ Botha (Kleine Zalze), Francois Marais (FNB), Dirk Roos (Mooiplaas) and Werner du Toit (FNB).
