If there ever was any doubt that organic wines can hold their own when pitted against their conventional counterparts, the recently announced results from the 2023 Concours Mondial du Sauvignon have helped to put that to rest. Spier proudly took home three gold medals from the international competition, one of which was awarded to a wine from our certified organic ranges.
The winning vintages include the 2022 Seaward Sauvignon Blanc, the 2022 Signature Sauvignon Blanc and the newly released 2022 Good Natured Organic Sauvignon Blanc. Incredibly, Spier was also recognised by the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles as the most awarded South African producer for the past 30 years.
This recognition arrives in the wake of the highly regarded Berliner Wine Trophy challenge – the world’s largest international OIV wine competition, bringing in nearly 15,000 entries annually. In a nice little nod to the organic category, the most recent contest saw the 2021 Good Natured Organic Shiraz, 2020 The Yellowwood Organic Red and 2020 First Stone Organic Red all welcome golds.
Taken together with the 2023 Concours results, these accolades prove that a commitment to the land – to working in harmony with nature – yields a goodness that shows up in the glass and can really be tasted. And this holds up even on a global stage.
The 2023 Concours Mondial du Sauvignon outcomes were announced on 20 March at the ProWein fair in Düsseldorf, Germany. They recognise the world's leading Sauvignon Blanc producers, paying tribute to their excellence. As many as 50 international judges evaluated a record total of 1210 wines from 20 countries, presenting silver and gold medals to the best of the bunch.
The results reflect positively on Spier and the South African Sauvignon Blanc category as a whole. Just short of 13% of all entries were from South Africa, and local wineries collectively brought in a total of 56 medals – a mix of 26 gold and 30 silver – as well as an international trophy.
The news of these accolades comes just in time for the last few warmer days before winter sets in. And Spier’s three golds offer an extra incentive to savour this trio of Sauvignon Blancs while the weather still calls for whites.
All three wines promise the well-balanced acidity and zesty vibrancy you would expect from a top-quality Sauvignon Blanc. While an intensely aromatic bouquet of passion fruit and green figs defines the nose of the 2022 Signature vintage, the Seaward Sauvignon Blanc explodes with the refreshing notes of ripe tropical fruit, green figs and blackcurrant. The first evolves to present a full, fresh palate – rich and invigorating; the latter follows fruitiness with a clean, purifying liveliness in the mouth that matures into a lingering suggestion of sea salt, hinting at the vines’ coastal proximity.
The 2022 Good Natured Organic Sauvignon Blanc delivers an abundance of grapefruit, litchi and gooseberry on the nose. The palate is bright, the finish crisp and revitalising. Enjoy it with fish, a chicken salad or goat’s cheese, and a side of feel-good fulfilment as you become part of Spier’s organic story.
These three award-winning Sauvignon Blancs can be purchased directly from our farm in Stellenbosch or Spier’s online store.