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D'Aria's five star stunner

Published: 25 Jan 10
 

D'Aria's five star stunner

Due to the huge popularity of Sauvignon Blanc, WINE magazine decided to have a panel tasting of those examples that were not included in last November's Sauvignon Blanc Top 10 competition.

 

Out of the 48 subsequent wines reviewed, one rated 5 Stars, this being D'Aria's The Songbird 2009. This emerging Durbanville producer has been making wine since 2005, with winemakers Rudi von Waltsleben and Grettchen Visagie in charge of cellar operations.

"The wine was only bottled in September to allow prolonged lees contact," explains Visagie. "We wanted to enter the competition, but we were unwilling to compromise on quality [by cutting cellar treatment short]."

A good thing they didn't - The Songbird 2009 now joins Graham Beck Pheasants' Run 2009 and Delaire 2009 as one of South Africa's top examples of this varietal. It sells for R89 ex-cellar.

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