Buying guide
After a recent tasting of Sauvignon Blanc from the 2003 vintage, it would appear that there are two distinct tiers of quality: the excellent and the everyday. Christian Eedes reports.
After the Fairbairn Capital Trophy Wine Show 2002, panellist and UK wine-writer Oz Clarke was moved to say "South Africa makes the best value for money Sauvignon Blanc in the world". The inaugural show generated two gold and three silver medals out of 62 wines entered.
At the Trophy Wine Show 2003, panellist Jancis Robinson MW reflected after judging that when it came to Sauvignon Blanc, "there was practically nothing very refined". This time, there were 63 wines entered, with none getting gold and two silver.
Apparently, no consensus concerning the quality of South African Sauvignon Blanc in overall terms. Go by medal count alone, and it would appear that the suitability of this grape to local conditions has been overstated. Yet, an analysis of the results of WINE magazine's tasting of Sauvignon Blanc 2003 proves illuminating.
Essentially, what seems to be emerging is a split between a few producers that produce really good examples with plenty of character and then many producers at the bottom end who are producing wines that offer good everyday drinking, but are never going to be exceptional.
The panel found a number of styles. Firstly, there were a great number of rather neutral wines, light and watery in style, "reminiscent of the Premier Grand Crus of yesteryear", as panel chairman Tony Mossop remarked.
Secondly, there were wines in a riper, fuller style, showing fig flavours. These tended to originate from regions where growing conditions were warmer, and while appealing, often lacked acid and general complexity.
Thirdly, there were those wines that possessed a lot of fermentation character, with relatively high ester concentrations, showing plenty of fruit, sometimes appearing confected.
Lastly, there were those wines that arose from matching the right clone to the right terroir, and ended up being very full in the mouth with a huge range of flavours. Not surprisingly, these ended up scoring the highest.
Cat's pee and sweaty armpits, the result of mercaptans or bound sulphurs that develop under reductive fermentation conditions, were deemed unacceptable.
For this tasting the panel tasted 88 wines from the 2003 vintage. Out of these, four wines picked up 4 Stars, the highest scoring being the Steenberg Reserve 2003, which corresponds to its 5 Star rating in the Platter SA Wine Guide 2004. However, a full 69 wines or 78,4% of the line-up did not manage to score over 3 Stars.
The panel was disappointed that the line-up had included so few excellent examples, but comforted themselves that a 2 Star Sauvignon Blanc remains a pleasant drinking experience, "something to quaff on a sunny day at the beach", as panellist Hermann Kirschbaum put it.
When does Sauvignon Blanc drink at its optimum?
Although most South Africa Sauvignon Blanc is drunk when young, it has a reputation for being very variable immediately after bottling. How long to wait before the wine is at its optimum? Nitida winemaker Bernhard Veller, for instance, insists that his Sauvignon Blanc needs at least 12 months in bottle before it drinks at its best.
Towards determining if bottle-age adds to the experience of Sauvignon Blanc, WINE magazine gathered together a line-up of 13 wines from the 2002 vintage to see how they were developing. The line-up was put together so as to be representative of SA's top producers, but not definitive. All wines were rated for the November issue a year ago, allowing a comparison to be made between then and now. Out of the 13 wines tasted, six rated lower than 12 months ago, three were unchanged and four improved their rating. The panel also tasted four recently released wines from 2002 (Cape Point, Chamonix Oak Matured Reserve, Jordan Blanc Fumé and Vergelegen Reserve).
Zondernaam
SOLD OUT EX-CELLAR: R35
Pale green. Complex aromas from green pepper to tropical fruit. Full flavoured but shows good crisp acid. An elegant wine showing excellent varietal typicity. Drink now.
Neil Ellis Groenekloof
SOLD OUT EX-CELLAR: R45
Pale green. Nose shows some developed character: green pea and asparagus. Full and rich on the palate, with some green pea character. Drink now or keep for 1 year.
Iona
SOLD OUT EX-CELLAR: R55
Pale green. Complex nose showing fig, capsicum and grapefruit. Big and expansive in the mouth with juicy fruit. Good acid ensures wine is still lively. Very typical. Drink now or keep for 1 year.
Vergelegen Reserve
SOLD OUT EX-CELLAR: R119
Rich green. Complex nose with dried apricot and marmalade aromas. Full and expansive on the palate. Drink now or keep for 2 years.
Springfield Life from Stone
CELLAR PRICE: R46
Clear medium green. Forward, complex nose including fig, coriander, limes. Crisp acid balanced by juicy fruit on the palate. Rich and intense. Good length of finish. Shows plenty of varietal character. Drink now or keep for 2 years.
Steenberg
CELLAR PRICE: R54
Clear straw. Complex nose: grassy notes as well as tropical fruit. Good flavour concentration on palate with fresh acid. Long finish. Drink now.
Boschendal Jean le Long
CELLAR PRICE: R60
Pale green gold. Apple, tropical fruit and wood spice nose. Palate shows ripe fruit and some vanilla notes. Feels big and rich. Long finish. Drink now.
Steenberg Reserve
CELLAR PRICE: R70
Clear green. Nose has it all: asparagus, green pepper, grass, gooseberry, passion fruit. Rich and full flavoured on the palate. Good fruit expression. Long, persistent finish. A statement wine. Drink now or keep for up to 2 years.
Boland
CELLAR PRICE: R27,20
Brilliant straw. Nose shows both tropical fruit and green pepper. Palate is full, with good fruit intensity but quite soft. Clean finish. Drink now.
Springfield Special Cuvée
CELLAR PRICE: R46
Clear pale green. A vibrant nose with pyrazene aromas (fig and capsicum) and flint. Big juicy fruit, minerality and fresh, zesty acid on palate. Good flavour concentration and long finish. Drink now or keep for 2 years.
Nitida SO R42,00
Springfield Life from Stone SO R44,00
Springfield Special Cuvée SO R44,00
Jordan Blanc Fumé R47,50
Cape Point R64,00
Boland SO R24,30
Fairview SO R40,00
Klein Constantia SO R43,00
Vergelegen SO R49,00
Thelema SO R40,00
Chamonix Oak Matured Reserve R42,00
Mulderbosch Unwooded SO R52,00
Flagstone Free Run ARP R37,10
Du Toitskloof SO R19,00
Kanu Limited Release R34,00
Kumkani R34,00
Mooiplaas R37,00
Cederberg R38,00
Groote Post R41,00
Havana Hills R44,00
Delaire R49,00
Vergelegen R49,00
Devon Hill R51,30
Neil Ellis Groenekloof R52,00
Constantia Uitsig R55,00
Spier Private Collection R85,00
Bergsig R20,00
Fleur Du Cap ARP R25,00
Spier R26,00
Alexanderfontein R28,00
Rietvallei R28,00
Gusto ARP R29,50
Bonfoi R33,00
Diemersdal R35,00
L'Avenir R39,00
Clouds R39,90
Robertson Winery Retreat R40,00
Jordan R42,50
Brampton (Rustenberg) R43,00
Bartho Eksteen R45,00
Stellenzicht Golden Triangle ARP R45,00
Sterhuis ARP R45,00
Iona R65,00
Hill & Dale R17,05
Roodezandt R21,50
Neethlingshof R23,99
Vlottenburg R24,00
Uitkyk R24,29
Le Bonheur R24,57
Porcupine Ridge (Boekenhoutskloof) R25,00
Welmoed R27,00
Nederburg ARP R27,95
Delheim R30,50
Savanha R32,00
Bellingham Our Founders ARP R32,00
Raka R32,00
Zorgvliet Le Pommier R32,00
Altydgedacht R33,00
Zondernaam R35,00
Graham Beck (Coastal) R36,00
Hoopenburg R37,00
Nederburg Private Bin ARP R39,00
Fairview R40,00
Boschendal Grand Vin Blanc R41,00
Buitenverwachting R45,00
Ormonde (Alexanderfontein) R45,00
Saxenburg Private Collection R45,00
Southern Right R47,50
Hercules Paragon (Simonsvlei) R47,00
Nitida R49,00
Mulderbosch R52,00
Porterville R20,00
Landskroon R21,00
Daschbosch R22,00
Ruitersvlei R25,00
Drakensig R25,00
Backsberg R27,00
Dieu Donné R28,00
Slaley Broken Stone R29,00
Rhebokskloof Rhebok R29,50
Eikendal R30,00
De Waal (Uiterwyk) R31,50
Ridgeback R34,00
Morgenhof R37,00
Sumaridge R38,00
La Couronne R40,00
Villiera Blanc Fumé ARP R41,00
Asara R43,00
Thelema R45,00
Onyx (Darling Cellars) R52,00
Villiera Traditional Bush Vine ARP R54,00
Bouchard Finlayson R55,00
Quoin Rock Price unavailable at time of going to press
Also tasted:
Swartland R18,00
Avontuur Sur Lie R34,00
PRICES: Wines in each star category are listed in order of ascending price.
ARP : Approximate retail price
SO : Sold out ex-cellar
WINE Tasters: Cape Wine Masters Tony Mossop (chairman) and Allan Mullins; with Angela Lloyd, wine writer, Hermann Kirschbaum, cellarmaster at Buitenverwachting, and Ross Gower, winemaker.
