South Africa has once again been acknowledged for its excellence when it comes to wine making, landing under the top five countries by number of medals at the largest and most significant international competition dedicated to Sauvignon Blanc, Concours Mondial du Sauvignon.
The 2022 Concours Mondial du Sauvignon, which took place in Portugal, saw South Africa win four gold and thirteen silver medals out of 1120 entries from 23 producer countries. RJ Botha, Chairman of Sauvignon Blanc South Africa says South Africa found itself in good stead with the likes of France, Austria, Italy and the Czech Republic at the prestigious competition.
Diemersdal got one of four gold medals for The Journal Sauvignon Blanc 2021, a barrel-aged rendition of this variety. The wine also won the Revelation Trophy for Best South African Wine on Show, as well as two of South Africa’s thirteen silver medals – one for Diemersdal The Journal Sauvignon Blanc 2021 and one for Diemersdal Winter Fermet Sauvignon Blanc 2021.
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Delaire Graff’s Coastal Cuvée Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Elgin Vintners‘s Sandstone 2021 and Vrede en Lust’s Blanc Fumé 2019 were also awarded gold medals. In addition to Diemersdal two silver medals, a further eleven silver medals were awarded to:
- Neethlingshof Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2021
- Alvi’s Drift Signature Sauvingon Blanc 2021
- Groote Post Seasalter 2021
- Zevenwacht 360 Sauvignon Blanc 2020
- Cederberg Sauvignon Blanc 2021
- Cilmor Winemaker’s Selection Sauvignon Blanc – Semillon 2021
- Ghost Corner The Bowline 2019
- Turtle House Sauvignon Blanc 2021
- Elgin Vintners Sauvignon Blanc 2021
- Uva Mira Sing-A-Wing Sauvignon Blanc 2021
- Ghost Corner Wild Ferment 2020
Over twenty nationalities, including South Africa, Australia and Canada are represented on the tasting panel, guaranteeing outstanding diversity that sets the Concours Mondial du Sauvignon apart from other wine competitions.
Says Dr Carien Coetzee, oenologist of Basic Wine and chair of one of the tasting panels: “While there was little doubt in my mind about the quality and diversity of wines we would be tasting, what made the whole experience even more remarkable were the people I met while exploring the Portugeuse wine region, Torres Vedras. Hats off to the CMS team for coordinating and handling the judging flawlessly while creating valuable networking opportunities.”
Wine writer and judge at this year’s competition, Malu Lambert says: “Besides the wines, what stood out was the early adoption to technology that assisted the judges with tasting and implementing their scores, as well as how this data was being captured and used on a greater scale to determine wine styles and consumers’ preferences. As the wine world evolves, we as tasters need to move with it and Concours Mondial du Sauvignon has clearly demonstrated they are ahead of the curve in new technologies, while still respecting tradition and inherent Old-World sensibilities.”
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