The prestigious International Wine and Spirit Competition awards has revealed that the 21 Gables Sauvignon Blanc 2017 has received the 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Trophy. This follows hot on the heels of the 21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2016 winning the world’s best last month.
Of the eight trophies awarded to South Africa, Spier has won two – an unprecedented success at the IWSC for this historic Stellenbosch wine farm.
“The success of the range’s two white wines on the global stage is proof of our passionate dedication to crafting single varietal wines of the highest quality – and fully expressive of the Cape’s unique terroir,” says Spier’s Cellar Master, Frans Smit.
The judging panel described the Spier 21 Gables Sauvignon Blanc 2017 as follows: “Medium, warm straw in colour with light green flecks on rim. The nose bursts with fat, rich tropical fruits that smell candied and dried. Warm apple, white pear and cantaloupe are beautifully balanced by a classic fresh herbaceousness of fresh grass and buchu. The mouthfeel is crisp, clean and playful while giving some serious mid-palate fruit weight at the same time. Finishes long and mineral.”
The wine was also rated 92 points in Tim Atkins’s Annual South African Report 2018, received Double Gold at the Top 100 SA Wines 2018 and was awarded 4.5 stars by the Platter’s Wine Guide 2017.
Sourced from two unique vineyards – one in the cool Tygerberg Hills, the other in Darling - this wine matured for six months on the lees before bottling.
It has been a golden year for fellow trophy award-winner, the Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2016. Earlier this year, at the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show, it not only won the Harold Eedes Trophy for Best Chenin Blanc but also received the Trophy for Best White Wine Overall.
A Double Platinum winner at the 2018 Top 100 SA Wines, the wine was also ranked one of the top 10 Chenin’s in the country at the Standard Bank Top 10 Chenin Blanc Challenge – an achievement that both previous vintages, 2014 and 2015, also attained.
Made from a vineyard in the cool Tygerberg Hills, this wine matured for 14 months in French oak barrels. It has soft aromas of dried apricots and ripe tropical fruit, with an oak and vanilla undertow. On the palate, there’s good acidity and rounded rich flavours of white flesh peaches, almond paste and creaminess.
The 21 Gables range pays tribute to Spier’s 300-year winemaking heritage and its unique architectural legacy: an unrivalled 21 Cape Dutch Gables – all beautifully preserved.