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South African Sauvignon Blanc continues to impress with its stylistic range and ageing ability, showcased by the 20 finalists from four vintages in this year’s FNB Sauvignon Blanc SA Top 10 competition and the launch of the country’s first-ever Sauvignon Blanc Aroma Wheel.

From 167 entries by 98 producers, an expert panel led by seasoned Sauvignon Blanc judge Dr Carien Coetzee selected the top 20 contenders. Now in its 19th year, the competition, presented by Sauvignon Blanc South Africa along with Top 10 title partner FNB and platinum partner Ever Solutions, saw strong performances across vintages 2021 to 2025, with 11 wines from 2025 making the finals. Older vintages also impressed for their ageing potential, outperforming younger wines, including five from 2024, three from 2023, and one from 2021.

Coetzee says the line-up was a strong representation of South Africa’s potential, with producers entering their very best wines, which lends credibility to the competition. “The panel praised the careful use of oak, balance of green, pyrazine-driven styles with fruit complexity, palate weight, and the rounded, concentrated character of the 2025 entries,” Coetzee says. “Judges also commended the 2024 wooded wines as well as winemakers’ techniques in producing fuller-bodied styles alongside fresher, lighter expressions.”

The finalists represent a broad spectrum of South Africa's wine regions, with cooler as well as warmer climate areas contributing multiple entries to the list. Notably, Groote Post Vineyards stands out with three top contenders, a unique achievement, including two different vintages of one wine.

The 20 finalists (in alphabetical order) are:

• Ataraxia Sauvignon Blanc 2025 (Cape South Coast)
• Cederberg Wines Ghost Corner Wild Ferment Sauvignon Blanc 2024 (wooded) (Elim, Cape Agulhas)
• Delaire Graff Coastal Cuvée Sauvignon Blanc 2025 (Coastal Region)
• Diemersdal Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2025 (Durbanville, Cape Town)
• Durbanville Hills Collectors Reserve The Cape Mist Sauvignon Blanc 2024 (wooded) (Durbanville, Cape Town)
• Eikendal Sauvignon Blanc 2025 (Stellenbosch)
• Groote Post Sauvignon Blanc 2025 (Western Cape)                    
• Groote Post Seasalter 2024 (wooded) (Western Cape)
• Groote Post Seasalter 2025 (wooded) (Western Cape)
• Groot Phesantekraal Sauvignon Blanc 2025 (Durbanville, Cape Town)
• Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2023 (wooded) (Western Cape)              
• KWV Cathedral Cellar Sauvignon Blanc 2023 (Western Cape)
• Langverwacht Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2025 (Robertson)
• Maastricht Sauvignon Blanc 2025 (Durbanville, Cape Town)
• Merwida Sauvignon Blanc 2025 (Western Cape)
• Paardenkloof Springtide Sauvignon Blanc 2024 (Bot River, Walker Bay)
• Rietvallei John B Sauvignon Blanc 2025 (Robertson)
• Steenberg Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc 2023 (wooded) (Constantia, Cape Town)
• Tokara Reserve Collection Elgin Sauvignon Blanc 2024 (Elgin)
• Vrede en Lust Artisan Range Blanc Fumé 2021 (wooded) (Elgin)

Joining Coetzee on the judging panel were Dr Winifred Bowman, Cape Wine Master and international judge, Praisy Dlamini, winemaker and CEO of Adama Wines and HER Wine Collection, winemaker Morgan Steyn of De Grendel Wines, winemaker Juandré Bruwer of Diemersdal Wine Estate, as well as two guest judges, Liezl Richards, Cape Wine Master and national sales and export manager of Gabriëlskloof, and Lauren Segers-Jewell of Wine Cellar.

This year, Sauvignon Blanc SA partnered with French company Winespace to introduce its pioneering TASTEE judging platform. The system streamlined scoring in real time and, for a select set of wines, used AI to generate professional sensory profiles for producers. Supported by bronze partner Tonnellerie Sylvain, this innovation adds efficiency, transparency and valuable insights, reinforcing the competition’s focus on credibility, innovation and premiumisation.

Aroma wheel captures the complexity of South African Sauvignon Blanc

The country’s first-ever Sauvignon Blanc Aroma Wheel has been unveiled, developed by researchers from Stellenbosch University’s South African Grape and Wine Research Institute (SAGWRI) and Sauvignon Blanc SA, in collaboration with South Africa Wine and several local and international industry experts.

The wheel is the result of a concerted effort to better understand and visually capture the aromatic complexity of South African Sauvignon Blanc. Based on the sensory evaluation of 60 wines by 54 local professionals, enriched with input from international judges from Concours Mondial de Bruxelles (CMB), the wheel distils more than 200 descriptors into 72 key attributes. Alongside global benchmarks, it highlights uniquely South African notes such as naartjie, fynbos and buchu.

Coetzee says the wheel proved invaluable during the competition and profiling of the top wines: “It provided a clear framework for describing very diverse wines and helped judges build sensory profiles, which can now be further refined by Winespace.”

“The aroma wheel is an innovative tool that defines the cultivar’s aromatic identity,” says Elunda Basson, Chairperson of Sauvignon Blanc SA. “It offers winemakers, marketers, educators and enthusiasts a valuable reference to explore and celebrate South Africa’s vibrant Sauvignon Blanc styles. Anyone can download this aroma wheel at no cost from our website sauvignonblanc.com.”

Don't miss the Top 10 Announcement

The Top 10 winners will be revealed on Wednesday 15 October 2025, at the FNB Sauvignon Blanc SA Top 10 awards event. The results will also be available on https://sauvignonblanc.com/ and across social media platforms. The annual Sauvignon Blanc SA Seminar and Annual General Meeting will take place on Wednesday 12 November 2025 at Hazendal Wine Estate.

Follow Sauvignon Blanc SA on X (@SauvignonSA), and on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn (@sauvignonblancsa) and join the conversation using #SauvignonBlancSA. For more information, contact info@sauvignonblanc.com or 082 808 1114.