The Durbanville Wine Valley’s Sauvignon Blancs raked in four places in the recently launched Wine magazine TOPS at SPAR Sauvignon Blanc Top 10.

Bloemendal, De Grendel, Diemersdal and Nitida were each awarded 4 stars.  Another two of the winning wines on the list, Backsberg John Martin 2007 and Graham Beck Pheasant’s Run 2007, also procure their grapes from farms in the Durbanville Wine Valley, affirming that it is the premier Sauvignon Blanc producing region.

The Durbanville Wine Valley’s Sauvignon Blancs have enjoyed tremendous success and have scooped numerous awards over the past few months. “The largest concentration of Sauvignon Blanc grapes in the country grows in the Durbanville Wine Valley and thanks to the cooler coastal climate and long-established vineyards, winemakers from this region have become known for their outstanding Sauvignon Blancs,” says Bennie Howard, chairman of the Durbanville Wine Valley Association.

Bloemendal Sauvignon Blanc Suider Terras 2006 has a nasturtium and green pepper nose and goes well with fresh asparagus or creamy pastas.  De Grendel Koetshuis 2007 bursts with layers of grass, pepper and asparagus flavours and has a distinctive mineral complexity. Satellite mapping of their large Sauvignon Blanc vineyard showed uneven ripening. Picking was therefore very selective and took place on separate occasions, with just one of these batches being from the Koetshuis block. It’s so different in style to the De Grendel Sauvignon Blanc that an exception was made this year to bottle it as the Koetshuis.

Diemersdal 8 Rows Sauvignon Blanc 2007 is a wine that shows strong minerality and flinty elegance on the nose, following through on the palate with a full mouth feel and healthy acid.  This is one of five Sauvignon Blanc wines that this wine estate makes.  Nitida Sauvignon Blanc 2007 has a concentrated fruit character, sustained freshness and balance and delicate aromas of nettles and grass.  Pasta or grilled Cape Salmon will prove worthy companions.

The Wine magazine TOPS at SPAR Sauvignon Blanc Top 10 awards have been established to champion the best examples of this grape.