A panel of wine experts recently selected the Top 10 wines out of 161 entries during the 2022 FNB Sauvignon Blanc SA Top 10 competition.
Sauvignon Blanc South Africa announced the winners on Thursday October 13, during an awards function at FNB Portside in Cape Town.
This year’s competition was once again held with the support of the Top 10 title partner, FNB, and platinum partner, EVER Solutions.
Of the ten champion wines, six are from the 2022 vintage, three from 2021 and one from 2020. The winners come from various diverse regions; Bonnievale and Worcester, Durbanville and Cape Town, the Polkadraai Hills in Stellenbosch, Elgin and Elim.
The expert panel of wine judges at this year’s competition was convener, Dr Winifred Bowman (Cape Wine Master, wine judge and writer), Fiona McDonald (wine judge and writer), Johann Fourie (head winemaker at Benguela Cove), Morgan Steyn (winemaker at De Grendel), René Groenewald (Cape Wine Master), and aspirant judge Mahalia Kotjane (assistant winemaker at Lievland).
“This year’s Top 10 is exciting and particularly striking. It’s amazing how our winemakers take advantage of their particular terroir to produce their distinctive styles of sauvignon blanc.
“The 102 producers who entered 161 wines deserve praise for the mark they make on the styles and flavour profiles from various terroirs and regions,” says RJ Botha, Sauvignon Blanc SA’s chairman.
Stephan Claassen, provincial head: FNB Business in the Western and Eastern Cape, congratulated the 2022 FNB Sauvignon Blanc SA Top 10 winners who continue to excel in a very volatile and competitive environment.
“In order for South African sauvignon blanc to remain competitive and sustainable at a global scale, it is essential that we continue to celebrate and offer platforms to talented producers that allow them to hone and showcase their skills.
“Our local sauvignon blanc producers continue to produce great quality wine. As FNB, we are pleased to be associated with this exciting and growing part of our wine industry,” says Mr Claassen.
Emanuele Bartolucci, export manager of EVER srl, congratulated the Top 10 winners in a video message from Italy. “We are proud to have been a platinum partner of Sauvignon Blanc SA for the past two years, alongside our South African sister company, EVER Solutions.
“This collaboration is a great example of how we can all grow together, and we are excited to continue our partnership. Congratulations to the Top 10 winners and to all sauvignon blanc producers. We are looking forward to the Concours Mondial du Sauvignon in South Africa in 2023,” says Mr Bartolucci.
This year’s Top 10 winning wines are; Bonnievale The River Collection Sauvignon Blanc 2022; Cilmor Winemaker’s Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2021; De Grendel Sauvignon Blanc 2022; Diemersdal Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2022; Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2022; KWV Cathedral Cellar Sauvignon Blanc 2020; Paul Clüver Village Sauvignon Blanc 2022; Spier 21 Gables Sauvignon Blanc 2021; Strandveld Pofadderbos Sauvignon Blanc 2022; and Zevenwacht Z Collection Sauvignon Blanc 2021.
An online booklet with tasting notes of the Top 10 wines is available free of charge at www.sauvignonblanc.com
