In an exciting showcase of South Africa’s wine prowess, the 2024 FNB Sauvignon Blanc SA Top 10 has named its winners, highlighting the country’s exceptional craftsmanship in producing site-specific wines.
Out of the 160 wines entered by 91 producers, the 2023 vintage stood out with seven winners in the top 10. Six of the winning wines are wooded, a style that has increasingly been making its mark over the 18 years of this annual competition.
The winners were announced on Wednesday, 16 October 2024, at De Meye Wine Estate in Stellenbosch, Western Cape.
Honouring winemaking excellence
The chairman of Sauvignon Blanc SA, RJ Botha, said sauvignon blanc is in an exciting phase, as showcased by the versatile styles from different areas in the top 10.
“The six wooded winners show our winemakers’ craftsmanship in developing different elements of this noble grape, building texture and adding layers.
“The excellent performance of the 2023 vintage again confirms the ageing potential of South African sauvignon blanc. Many thanks to our partners FNB and EVER Solutions for their contribution to our success,” he said.
Stephan Claassen, FNB Commercial’s provincial head for the Western and Eastern Cape, congratulated the top 10 winners, who stood out above the rest to showcase exceptional wine-making skills and talent in a closely contested challenge.
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“Our longstanding partnership with Sauvignon Blanc SA goes a long way in promoting the global stature of South African wines, as well as the local development of this sector. This platform allows producers to be recognised and rewarded for their innovation and excellence, enhancing their potential for growth.
“Furthermore, our involvement goes beyond the sponsorship of the awards, and is focused on supporting the entire ecosystem around the wine industry, including the various businesses in the value chain and stimulating job creation in the agri sector,” Claassen said.
Here are the 2024 top 10 winners
- Alvi’s Drift Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2023 (wooded) – Scherpenheuvel, Worcester
- Cederberg Wines Ghost Corner Wild Ferment 2023 (wooded) – Elim, Cape Agulhas
- Diemersdal Winter Ferment Sauvignon Blanc 2024 – Durbanville
- Flagstone Free Run Sauvignon Blanc 2023 – Coastal Region
- Hermanuspietersfontein Kat met die Houtbeen Sauvignon Blanc 2022 (wooded) – Sunday’s Glen, Walker Bay
- Iona Elgin Highlands Sauvignon Blanc 2024 – Elgin
- Lomond Sugarbush Sauvignon Blanc 2023 – Cape Agulhas
- Maastricht The Contour Sauvignon Blanc 2023 (wooded) – Durbanville
- Stark-Condé Round Mountain Sauvignon Blanc 2023 (wooded) – Jonkershoek Valley, Stellenbosch
- Zevenwacht Z Collection Sauvignon Blanc 2023 (wooded) – Polkadraai Hills, Stellenbosch
The director of Alvi’s Drift, Dr Alvi van der Merwe, said it is always an honour for them to be recognised and he encourages their team to go further.
“There are so many great wines in South Africa and it’s always wonderful to be part of winning wines, so being part of the top 10 is an honour for us.
“It has been great; our entry-level 1 won double gold at the Michelangelo Awards, our sauvignon blanc also won an award at Veritas, now this top 10 – so we are very honoured for this. We are not going to be changing anything, we as the team will continue doing what we are able to do,” he said.
Van der Merwe said with the adverse weather conditions they have lost 40 hectares of vines and it has been a catastrophic period in their operations recently.
The judging panel, headed by Cape wine master Dr Winifred Bowman, consisted of esteemed wine professionals including Johann Fourie, Dr Carien Coetzee, Morgan Steyn, and Mahalia Kotjane. The panel also included two protégé judges, further fostering the development of young talent in the industry.
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