THE 2017 vintages of D’Aria’s Songbird and De Grendel’s Koetshuis are particularly impressive wines in the 2018 FNB Sauvignon Blanc Top 10, with both already multiple award winners before the latest rounds of applause: the Songbird also won at South Africa’s National Wine Challenge and earned silverware at the International Wine Challenge (UK); the Koetshuis also won gold at the Trophy Wine Show, the Michelangelo Awards and Veritas. Together with the Elgin Sauvignon Blanc in Tokara’s Reserve Collection, they count among the pick of the best in the SA Wine Classification – the Koetshuis having spent time in barrel, the Songbird and Tokara being unwooded.

The judges at the Sauvignon Blanc Top 10 competition were Stellenbosch winery proprietor Neil Ellis (panel chair), Cape Wine Master Winnie Bowman, Christian Eedes of Winemag.co.za, with winemakers Wilhelm Pienaar and Johann Fourie. For their favourites, see below – all but three of the top wines over R100 a bottle. And for more from the organisers, the industry’s Sauvignon Blanc Interest Group, see here.

FNB SAUVIGNON BLANC TOP 10

Bellingham Homestead Sauvignon Blanc 2018
R80 pb at Franschhoek Cellar

D’Aria Songbird Sauvignon Blanc 2017
R146 pb at the cellar door, Durbanville

De Grendel Koetshuis Sauvignon Blanc 2017 (wooded)
R160 pb at the cellar door, Panorama, Durbanville Wine Route

Diemersdal Winter Ferment Sauvignon Blanc 2018
R140 pb at the cellar door, Durbanville

Flagstone Free Run Sauvignon Blanc 2017
R110 pb at the cellar door, Somerset West

Fryer’s Cove Doring Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2017
R91 pb at the cellar door, Bamboes Bay

Nitida Wild Child 2017 (wooded)
R150 pb at the cellar door, Durbanville

Rustenberg Stellenbosch Sauvignon Blanc 2018
R80 pb at the cellar door, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch

Tokara Reserve Collection Elgin Sauvignon Blanc 2018
R140 pb at the cellar door, Helshoogte, Stellenbosch

Zalze Vineyard Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Export only, from Kleine Zalze cellar, Stellenbosch

ALSO AMONG TOP 20 FINALISTS

Constantia Royale Sauvignon Blanc 2018 (Nova Zonnestraal)
R100 pb, approximate retail

Darling Cellars Reserve Bush Vine Sauvignon Blanc 2018
R43 pb at the cellar door, Darling Cellars

Delaire Graff Sauvignon Blanc 2018
R140 pb at the cellar door, Helshoogte, Stellenbosch

Hidden Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2017
R120 pb at the cellar door in Helderberg, Stellenbosch

Iona Sauvignon Blanc 2018
R155 pb at the cellar door, Elgin

Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2017
R101 pb at the cellar door, Stellenbosch

Marianne Sauvignon Blanc 2017 (wooded)
R190 pb at the cellar door, Simonsberg-Paarl

Rietvallei Sauvignon Blanc 2018
R85 pb at the cellar door, Robertson

Strandveld Pofadderbos Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2017
R130 pb at the cellar door outside Elim, Cape Agulhas

Windmeul Sauvignon Blanc 2018
R52 pb at the cellar door, Paarl