Gqeberha locals often say that “real summer” in Nelson Mandela Bay only starts after the late December solstice, after New Year even, as the tourists start making their way home, leaving us to enjoy sunny days and long warm evenings into early autumn. Lucky us!
While leaving the weather analysis to The Herald’s Weather Guru Garth Sampson, the past week of hot, steamy days, likely to continue for the next few weeks, presents ideal conditions for enjoying the crisp zestiness of an ice-cold sauvignon blanc alongside a braai, a freshly caught fish, a picnic, a campout, or a cool summer supper of cold meats and salads.
Sauvignon blancs from cool-climate Durbanville especially come to mind, from vineyards kissed by early morning mists off the icy Atlantic and bracing sea breezes that lock fresh acidity into the grapes, tempered by afternoon warmth that develops flavours.
Here on our balmier Indian Ocean shores, a cool, zesty, ocean-influenced sauvignon blanc makes perfect sense for summer day refreshment.
Fresh grassy aromas and an array of tangy, citrus and tropical flavours are the “signature” of Durbanville sauvignon blancs, and the varieties from Durbanville Hills are an excellent example of the region.
The winery takes full advantage of its commanding hilltop site, its great terroir for growing SA’s biggest-selling white wine, and the variety of grapes and sites offered by its nine farmer-shareholders to produce variations that showcase the versatility of sauvignon blanc to please wine lovers of different tastes and budgets.
Durbanville Hills cellarmaster Pieter-Niel Rossouw is an unabashed fan of sauvignon blanc, for the “thrill of its zesty vibrance”, its versatility and the variety of styles it can deliver on its own (from flinty minerality to the greens of cut grass, asparagus, green pepper, figs, guavas and tropical succulence, and combinations of those), depending on where it is grown and how it’s handled in the cellar, and how it can elevate a partnership with other varieties.
“Think of it as jazz. Structured yet spontaneous, bringing fresh perspective, and capable of surprising even its biggest fans,” he says.
The ever-popular Durbanville Hills Sauvignon Blanc, a staple of countless restaurant wine lists and wine-by-the-glass offerings, is always a reliable choice, which is not to imply boring, and its SA benchmark status is underscored by gold medals last year in the international Gilbert and Gaillard rankings and the Veritas awards.
Lively and refreshing, the 2025 (around R95) has flavour intensity and complexity, a great balance of the diverse characteristics of sauvignon blanc – some greenness of green pepper, figs, and prickly pear, with the tropical bits of papaya and winter melon, lifted by the zest of grapefruit and limes, and a lick of cool Durbanville minerality.
It might sound like a bit of a fruit salad, and it is – in the best possible way.
The Cape Mist Collector’s Reserve 2024 (R150) is part of a range of wines named for landmarks of the Cape that can be seen from the high Durbanville hills – connecting city and winelands icons.
Sporting a gold medal in the 2025 The Drinks Business Global Sauvignon Blanc Masters and a winemag.co.za Top 10 Sauvignon Blanc spot, it’s a “very Durbanville” sauvignon blanc, weaving the typical tropical, gooseberry, and grassy/green notes with touches of blackcurrant and citrus zest, a distinctive slick of minerality – all rounded out with a touch of creaminess from spending 10 months on its yeasty lees in stainless steel tanks.
It’s got a great balance of softness and steel, freshness and complexity, and liveliness and refined elegance.
The Collectors Reserve and flagship Tangram wines are made in the small “craft cellar” within the Durbanville Hills large commercial production facility, delivering not only superb wines but incredible value for money, for the attention to detail that goes into small-batch winemaking and the quality of what’s in the bottle.
Tangram White 2023 blends sauvignon blanc from four different blocks, including one with vines over 35 years old, rounded out with semillon for added layers of complexity.
It’s a multi-award-winning wine, including 96 points in the Decanter World Wine Awards, landing it in the publication’s current top six Sauvignon Blanc wines in the world.
The 2023 earned 4.5* in Platter’s, while the latest vintage, 2024, is rated 5*.
The wine signals its power from the opening of intoxicating aromas of citrus blossoms, freshly peeled orange rind, blackcurrant and lemongrass; a bouquet of florals and smoky flintiness that leads into rich, creamy fullness from the semillon and 10 months’ wood maturation.
Concentrated and complex, weaving lemon, lime, green melons and a mineral finish.
It’s a superb treat and great value at R270 for a wine built to age for 10 years, much like the Bordeaux-style whites that it emulates.
The Herald
