The latest 2009 vintage is certain to continue in this proud tradition and winemaker Pieter Visser says he believes it’s going to be the best Sauvignon Blanc he has ever produced!

“This vintage is different because I had a small portion (about 3,5%) fermenting on wood, and I also added a little bit of semillon to give the wine an even bigger mouth-feel. A few weeks back I grilled crayfish with garlic and lemon butter sauce on the coals, and the 2009 Sauvignon Blanc proved to be the perfect match. I believe it will work exceptionally well with most fish dishes.”

“The fact that Sauvignon Blanc grapes from Elgin consistently achieve the best prices per ton for this cultivar across all the wine-growing regions is a reflection of its suitability to the cool climate of our area - where the grapes are harvested as late as the end of March,” says Anthony Rawbone-Viljoen, Managing Director of Oak Valley Estate. “It has also been proven that Elgin Sauvignon Blancs can age well in the bottle given the fresh, natural acidity in the wines coupled with low pH levels at harvest time.

“At the recent Aylesford Sauvignon Blanc Festival, we poured the last five vintages of our Oak Valley Sauvignon Blanc for wine enthusiasts, and the oldest of the wines, the 2005 Oak Valley Sauvignon Blanc, was still drinking beautifully after five years in the bottle. This wine was the regional trophy winner at the 2006 Decanter World Wine Awards in London and runner-up for the International Trophy.”

Anthony Rawbone-Viljoen also points out that it’s only now that Sauvignon Blanc from the Elgin area is able to reveal its true ageing potential - as it has a very short production history in the valley.

Pieter emphasises that most of Oak Valley’s Sauvignon Blanc vineyards lie against the southwestern slopes of the Groenland mountains where the height above sea level (between 470 – 580 meters) and the cooler temperatures ensure much lower yields per hectare, but very concentrated flavours.

“The 2009 vintage was cool. The grapes were handled reductively through all the winemaking phases to ensure that all the crisp, cool climate flavours were captured in the bottle. The grapes were given 12-18 hours skin contact before pressing and the juice was allowed to settle for two days at 5-8ºC before being racked after which VIN7/VL3 yeast was added. Fermentation took place at 12-14ºC and the wine was left on the lees for 8 weeks, adding richness and fullness to the Sauvignon Blanc.”

Pieter says the 2009 Oak Valley Sauvignon Blanc, which has an alcohol of 13.0% and a residual sugar of just 2.0%, shows hints of pineapple and granadilla on the nose, while the mouth-feel is flinty with a creamy richness and has a nice, fresh finish.