THERE WERE OVER 1200 wines from around the world gathered for assessment at Mondial du Sauvignon (Blanc) 2021 in Brussels, Belgium. The contest involved some 40 judges who deliberated for four days in choosing 127 gold medallists, nine of which went on to win trophies – three French wines, two Austrians, one New Zealander, an Italian, one from the Czech Republic and a South African. Top wine overall? The 2020 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc from GT Ferreira's Tokara cellar off the Helshoogte Pass in Stellenbosch, made using grapes from Elgin.
Cape wineries bagged a total of 11 gold medals, and while the Cederberg Private Cellar, producer of Ghost Corner wines using Elim grapes, Diemersdal of Durbanville as well as the Stellenbosch outfits Delaire Graff, Kleine Zalze and Tokara all produce Sauvignon Blancs that have been ranked among the country's very best for some time, there were newcomers too (see below).
* The results of the 2021 Concours Mondial du Sauvignon follow those of two other international competitions, Mundus Vini 2021 in Germany and Chardonnay du Monde 2021 in France, where South Africa's most successful outfits were Kleine Zalze of Stellenbosch and De Wetshof of Robertson respectively. The first local competition of the year culminated in Winemag‘s 10-Year-Old Wine Report in which three of Tokara's wines from the 2011 vintage placed among the Top 10 – this after Tokara was named Winemag's Winery of the Year in 2020.
SA GOLD MEDALLISTS AT
MONDIAL DU SAUVIGNON
Alvi's Drift Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2020
R155pb ex-cellar, Worcester
Delaire Graff Coastal Cuvée Sauvignon Blanc 2015
Museum Class, Stellenbosch Cellar
Diemersdal The Journal Sauvignon Blanc 2019
R225pb ex-cellar, Durbanville
Elgin Vintners Sauvignon Blanc 2020
R108pb ex-cellar, Elgin
Ghost Corner Sauvignon Blanc 2020
R220pb from Cederberg Private Cellar
Ghost Corner Wild Ferment Sauvignon Blanc 2019
R250pb from Cederberg Private Cellar
Groote Post Seasalter Sauvignon Blanc 2020
R159pb ex-cellar, Darling
Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2019
R240pb ex-cellar, Stellenbosch
Painted Wolf Lightening Sauvignon Blanc 2020
R200pb ex-producer, Paarl
Ridgelands Sandstone 2020
Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc at R285pb from Elgin Vintners
Tokara Reserve Collection Elgin Sauvignon Blanc 2020
R160pb ex-cellar, Helshoogte, Stellenbosch
