Top 10 Sauvignon Blancs to try this spring

Aaaaahhhh. Breath. Spring is in the air and it’s time to celebrate. And what would a spring celebration be without a glass of something clean, fresh and crisp?

Sauvignon Blanc is an incredible variety with a vast array of styles and flavour components – hence its popularity among consumers. Most wine producers have a Sauvignon on their product list, and, although some winemakers are persisting with the green, grassy, herbaceous sort, a trend towards more tropical, fruity and ripe styles is evident. The most common flavour profiles of Sauvignon Blanc include:

• Tropical and yellow fruit
• Flinty and mineral
• Blackcurrent leaf, elderberry and oak
• Spicy and herbaceous

A great way of getting to grips with this variety is by trying a wine made in each of these styles. And there’s no better way to do this than to work your way through the FNB Sauvignon Blanc Top 10.

I recently had the opportunity to taste my way through the line-up, and my-oh-my was I blown away. The Sauvignon Blanc competition was started in 2007 by Wine magazine and is now run by the Sauvignon Blanc Interest Group (SBIG) and is sponsored by FNB. It aims to promote innovation and excellence in the category and to reward those endeavouring to make wines of true distinction.

A total of 195 wines were entered, whittled down by a five-person panel to the Top 10 Sauvignon Blancs for 2012. The judging panel was chaired by wine writer Christian Eedes and included Miguel Chan, group sommelier for Tsogo Sun hotels, Richard Kershaw MW of Richard Kershaw Wines, Mark Norrish, wine division general manager of Ultra Liquors and Erika Obermeyer of Graham Beck Wines and chairperson of SBIG.

So, without further ado, the FNB Sauvignon Blanc Top 10  for 2012:

Tropical and fruity

Flavour components: lush, tropical flavours and aromas of papaya, guava, banana and pineapple, coupled with stonefruit (apricot, peach, and nectarine) and some citrus elements. Floral notes include orange blossom and geranium.

• Simonsig Sunbird 2012 (R60) – Delicate citrus character on the nose and palate. Crisp acidity, pithy finish (similar to the white part of an orange peel). Made in a lighter style.

• Neetlingshof Single Vineyard 2012 (R65) – From a producer that is not synonymous with Sauvignon Blanc, this wine is a must try. Lots of tropical fruit on the nose and palate. Good concentration and thick texture offset by bright acidity. Perfect for a spring afternoon.

• Clos Malvern 2011 (R84) – Lime, yellow apple and white peach on the nose and palate. Rich and full with moderate acidity. The finish is long and savoury. Has real presence.

• Du Toitskloof 2012 (R32) – At just R32 a bottle this one blew the rest out of the water in terms of pricing. Overtly fruity – lime through tropical fruit – on the nose and palate. Plump and juicy, bright acidity. Cleverly done.

Flinty and mineral

Flavour components: more austere, lean flavours and aromas such as gunflint, river pebbles, steel and smokiness, coupled with earthy undertones and mushroom, damp earth and the smell of rain falling on a dirt road.

• Lomond Pincushion 2011 (R110) – Rich and full with first signs of development. Intensely flavoured with notes of lime, tangerine and white pepper. Thick textured. Bright acidity.

Blackcurrant leaf, elderberry and oak influence

Flavour components: fragrant aromas and flavours of blackcurrant leaf, passion fruit, granadilla, cassis and mulberries. Also yellow apple, tangerine and some herbal notes. Wooded examples show spicy flavours and aromas.

• De Morgenzon DMZ 2012 (R70) – 5% fermented and matured in barrels. Rich and full with wide range of flavours including white pepper, lime, apple and green melon. Concentrate fruit matched by tangy acidity.

• Diemersdal MM Louw 2011 (R165) – Fermented and matured for nine months in 500-litre oak barrels. Rich and full with notes of tangerine, spice, honey and vanilla. Great intensity and flavour, tangy acidity, smooth texture.

Spicy and herbaceous

Flavour components: racy flavours and aromas such as capsicum, paprika, fresh and canned asparagus, tinned peas, grass, nettles, English gooseberry, grass, tomato vine, celery and herbs.

• Driehoek 2012 (R95) – Clean and pure with fresh acidity. Excellent flavour intensity including lime, grapefruit and some herbal bite. Long, dry finish.

• Groote Post 2012 (R68) – Broad spectrum of aromas and flavours from herbal tropical fruit. Rich and ripe with moderate acidity – generous and rewarding.

• Virgin Earth Pepper Tree 2012 (R65) – Citrus blossom, some gravel-road dustiness and lime on the nose and palate. Clean and fresh before a long, dry finish. A particularly elegant example.

Want to try all of these wines? A mixed case, including one bottle of each of the winning wines, will be sold through the Wade Bales Wine Society in limited quantities for just R790.

See what wines were in last year’s FNB Sauvignon Blanc Top 10.

Sasha van Zyl

I love wine – simple as that! I must be one of the luckiest people on earth as my job (web editor of this website) allows me to submerge myself in the world of South African wine each and every day. I hope you enjoy discovering our country’s best wines and wineland experiences with me.

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