Congratulations to Stellenbosch estates Kleine Zalze, Stark-Condé and Stellenbosch Vineyards for their inclusion in the 2020 Sauvignon Blanc SA Top 10 announced during a virtual awards event on Wednesday 14 October 2020.
The Top 10 were drawn from 149 entries 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, bearing out the judges’ opinion that wooded Sauvignon Blanc wines will have a greater impact in future.
The 2020 Sauvignon Blanc SA Top 10 wines are (in alphabetical order):
- 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
“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. “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. Many thanks to our platinum sponsor FNB for their understanding of our industry and their contribution to our success.”
Cape Wine Master Dr Winifred Bowman convened a judging panel that consisted of 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.
As part of this year’s competition, Sauvignon Blanc SA is requesting everyone to support the industry by making a contribution to the Vinpro Foundation in support of a student in the wine industry. For more details, visit www.sauvignonblanc.com/vinprofoundation.
This year’s award ceremony was a highly entertaining affair hosted by chef Zola Nene with guest artist Nataniël – click here to view the event online.
Wine lovers can obtain the 2020 Sauvignon Blanc SA Top 10 collection via the Wine of the Month Club, as well as at Wine Stellenbosch TOPS.
The annual Sauvignon Blanc SA Technical Seminar will be presented as vlogs on the Sauvignon Blanc SA website during November with speakers focusing on technical aspects, including information on the Top 10.
For more information or to become a member, visit www.sauvignonblanc.com or call 021 975 4440. Join the online conversation about the #SauvignonBlancSATop10 and follow Sauvignon Blanc SA on Twitter @SauvignonSA and on Facebook and Instagram as @sauvignonblancsa.