Hosted by celebrity chef Zola Nene with guest appearances by Nataniël himself, wine lovers celebrated the announcement of 2020 Sauvignon Blanc SA Top 10 during a glitzy virtual affair last night.
The winners were announced by Sauvignon Blanc South Africa and organisers are most delighted that this year’s champion wines come from no less than seven different regions. It is Mzansi’s only competition devoted to Sauvignon Blanc.
In alphabetical order, this year’s top 10 are:
- Alvi’s Drift Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2020
- Cilmor Limited Edition Sauvignon Blanc 2019
- Diemersdal Winter Ferment Sauvignon Blanc 2020
- Ghost Corner Wild Ferment Sauvignon Blanc 2018
- Iona Elgin Highlands Wild Ferment Sauvignon Blanc 2019
- Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2019
- Ormonde Chip Off The Old Block Sauvignon Blanc 2019
- Paul Cluver Sauvignon Blanc 2019
- Stark-Condé Round Mountain Sauvignon Blanc 2019
- Stellenbosch Vineyards Southern View Sauvignon Blanc 2020
The top 10 were drawn from a broad collection of entries, with 96 producers submitting 149 wines for the competition held with the support of FNB.
A good balance was achieved with six of the winning wines from the 2019 vintage, three from the 2020 vintage, and one wine from 2018. Half of the Top 10 show a degree of oak contact that affirms the judges’ opinion on the future potential for more wooded Sauvignon Blanc wines.
“This year will be remembered as a time to stand together and everyone who entered can therefore rightly be proud of their achievement,” said RJ Botha, Sauvignon Blanc SA’s chairman.
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“In these challenging times, it is a privilege to be able to celebrate South African Sauvignon Blanc worldwide as our country’s top seller. We see exciting innovation in style and flavour profiles, as well as diversity in origin with three top 10 winners from Stellenbosch, two from Elgin, and one each from Breede River, Elim, Worcester, Durbanville and Darling. Congratulations to Diemersdal with their hat trick with the Winter Ferment – the only wine that has shone in the top 10 for the last three years in a row.”
The judging panel comprised Dr Winifred Bowman, Cape Wine Master and convener of the panel, cellar master Charles Hopkins of De Grendel, wine judge and writer Fiona McDonald and winemaker Rüdger van Wyk of Stark-Condé Wines.The panel also included protégé judges, Candice Barnes from Boekenhoutskloof, Kelsey Shungking from De Grendel and Victoria Davis from Glenelly.
Meanwhile, the wine industry was glued to their screens for the 2020 Sauvignon Blanc SA Top 10 virtual announcement. Leading Mzansi wine blogger and influencer Emile Joubert referred to Diemersdal’s Winter Ferment Sauvignon Blanc 2020 as a legend that was born. Podcaster and lifestyle writer Tshepi Molisana and winemaker Morgan Steyn were also glued to their screens.
2017 I’m in Lisbon hotel, Thys calls. ‘That experiment I did, freezing Sauvignon Blanc juice before fermenting, can’t believe how the wine’s turned out. Never seen Sauvignon like this.’ 2nite 2020: 4th @SauvignonSA Top 10 for @diemersdalwines Winter Ferment. Legend is born. pic.twitter.com/LEWLgMbvCp
— Emile Joubert (@emilejoubert) October 14, 2020
Ready for tonight’s FNB Sauvignon Blanc Top 10 awards🥂🎉 #SauvignonBlancSATOP10 pic.twitter.com/Tfl9ar9eBB
— Morgan Steyn (@MSteyn03) October 14, 2020
Black Tie at Home for the virtual @SauvignonSA Top 10 Awards.
Fitting opening words from Chairman RJ Botha: “I’m 100% sure that 2020 will never be forgotten.”@strandveld First Sighting Sauvignon Blanc paired with decadent #Overture starter#SauvignonBlancSATop10 pic.twitter.com/4CegZp3S3Q
— Tšepang In My Kitchen (@TshepiMolisana) October 14, 2020
- Click here to view the recording of the 2020 Sauvignon Blanc SA Top 10 virtual awards.
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