A delicious lunch with friends in their garden with views to False Bay and resplendent with iceberg roses and giant hydrangeas, brought home the fact that our South African Sauvignon Blancs can age with grace and substance.
Somewhat mature still Succulent Sauvignon Blanc
The line-up was heavy-weights such as Cederberg Ghost Corner, Klein Constantia, Oak Valley, Tokara and De Grendel from the stellar 2009 vintage which was an outstanding year for both red and white.
Tokara had crunchy New Zealand style fruit intensity while the Oak Valley was elegant with cool herbacious flavours, the Klein Constantia was rounded with underlying minerality. De Grendel showed lively, tangy lime and a creamy herbacious edge while the Ghost Corner still had its tensile mineral thread running through succulent fruit but its poise and depth made this the star of the show for me – it certainly could hold its own anywhere on the world stage.
2004 Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre Alphonse Mellot and Neil Ellis
We also compared two wines from 2004 – the local Neil Ellis and Alphonse Mellot La Mousierre from Sancerre. The latter was mellow with honeyed herb and tarte tatin flavours while the Neil Ellis was deep, intriguing and lively with many years ahead of it. The Sancerre, although a satisfying mouthfull, has peaked and was enjoyed at the right moment.
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