Home Winners > Winners 2019 > NEW WORLD: Sauvignon Blanc - Rest of the World (inc Australia, Argentina, California, South Africa)

Winner Details

 NEW WORLD: Sauvignon Blanc, Rest of the World, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, South Africa & USA

2019 Gold 2        Silver 1             Bronze 3             Commended 4
2018 Gold 1        Silver 2             Bronze 1             Commended 2

On this evidence, it’s hard to look much beyond New Zealand (for expensive) and Chile (for cheap) when it comes to New World Sauvignon Blanc. Australia, Argentina et al have never really done much with the grape in this competition, while South Africa (which has shown flashes in the past) seems still to be finding its feet stylistically.

Yet for the latter, at least, the potential is clearly there – Tokara’s lovely example picking up a Food Match award as well as a Gold. Unsurprisingly, it came from the high, cool, apple-growing country of Elgin.

There seem to be increasing signs of oak experimentation, too. But producers need to be very careful about how they do that. Our tasters were sceptical that many of the examples really worked.

FROM THE TASTING TEAMS

‘I was quite impressed, I thought it was going to be horrible! A lot more approachable prices compared to Marlborough.’ Laurent Richet MS, team leader

‘[The South Africans] was the worst flight of Sauvignon Blanc I’ve had in a while. Varietal character, but not regional style. For the same price I’d look at New Zealand.’ Tanguy Martin, New Street Warehouse

‘Lots of greenness and vegetables. More on the herbaceous side. Overall good value for money.’ Gabriele Bertotti, Maze by Gordon Ramsay

‘At its best, South African Sauvignon can have lots of ripe citrus, hints of herbaceous character, more weight and ripeness than Old World Sauvignon, sadly we didn’t see a lot of that – a couple of asparagus bombs, overripe fruits and a lack of acidity.’ Laura Rhys MS, team leader

Award winners

Found 11 wines

New World: Sauvignon Blanc, Rest of the New World

Tokara, Reserve Collection, Sauvignon Blanc 2018, Elgin, South Africa

Gold medal winner Food Match

Another worthy Gold for the category, team leader Laura Rhys MS described this as ‘a classic South African style of Sauvignon Blanc’, and thought it would be ‘a good partner for springtime dishes with herbs’. Consultant Anja Breit, meanwhile, described it as ‘so well rounded and balanced’, adding: ‘The nose brings capsicum, bell pepper and fresh, soft herbs and the intense palate is very likeable.’ New Street Warehouse’s Tanguy Martin also thought it had great typicity, and was ‘very expressive, pleasant and refreshing; it’s your classic style’.

£11.12 Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies

MAN Family Wines, Warrelwind, Sauvignon Blanc 2018, Western Cape, South Africa

Gold medal winner

Happy to award a Gold medal, team leader Laura Rhys MS said: ‘This would be a lovely example to list by the glass; it’s made in a fresh, fruit-driven style and it’s great value for money.’ Consultant Anja Breit admired its ‘pure, aromatic, balanced exotic fruit’ that led to a ‘creamy palate’, adding: ‘There’s a nice chalky minerality, a sherbety acidity, but it’s well rounded and balanced too; good value.’ Clément Loubeyre of The Cross Kenilworth agreed, saying, ‘great wine for a pub, by the glass’.

£7.20 Enotria&Coe

Some Young Punks, Quickie!, Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Adelaide Hills, South Australia, Australia

Silver medal winner

‘A very classic style of Sauvignon Blanc,’ said team leader Laura Rhys MS, describing it as ‘classically fresh, elegant and juicy, with higher notes of citrus and sherbet’.

£12.08 Bibendum

Casa Valduga, Raizes, Sauvignon Blanc 2016, Campanha, Brazil

Bronze medal winner

Consultant Anja Breit described this as a ‘terroir-driven style of wine, with lighter stoney fruit flavours’. With ‘high minerality and balanced acidity’, she thought is was ‘an unusual yet pleasing wine’.

£9.98 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Doña Paula, Paula, Sauvignon Blanc 2018, Mendoza, Argentina

Bronze medal winner

Consultant Anja Breit described ‘a delicate nose of mint and nettles’ with ‘salty minerality backed up with a fairly simple citrus-driven length’.

£7.83 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Rietvallei, Estéanna, Sauvignon Blanc 2018, Robertson, South Africa

Bronze medal winner

‘A riper style of Sauvignon with good weight on the palate,’ said Honami Matsumoto of House of Sake, ‘delicately flavoured with a good high acidity.’

£12.43 Rietvallei Wine Estate (Pty) Ltd

Kautz Winery, Drifting, Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Lodi, California, USA

Commended medal winner

£9.12 Matthew Clark

Imbuko, Fat Barrel, Sauvignon Blanc 2018, Western Cape, South Africa

Commended medal winner

Rikus Neethling, RNW, Sauvignon Blanc 2018, Western Cape , South Africa

Commended medal winner

Journey's End, Weather Station, Sauvignon Blanc 2018, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Commended medal winner

£10.46 Bibendum

Zonte's Footstep, Excalibur, Sauvignon Blanc 2018, Adelaide Hills, South Australia, Australia

Commended medal winner