Diemersdal Estate’s The Journal Sauvignon Blanc from vintage 2024 came out tops at this year’s Prescient Sauvignon Blanc Report, organised by online publication Winemag.co.za, garnering the 95pts to make it the leading performer in this annual competition for Sauvignon Blanc wines.
Some 78 entries were received for this year’s Prescient Report, and these were judged by a three-person panel, with scores done according to the 100pt scale.
A wooded Sauvignon Blanc made from Diemersdal’s dryland vineyards in Durbanville, The Journal was first released from the 2019 vintage. Since then, it has become one of South Africa’s most awarded Sauvignon Blancs. This year alone The Journal – from the 2022 vintage - also secured the trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc at the Trophy Wine Show.
The Journal Sauvignon Blanc is inspired by the great white wines of the Sancerre region in France which is the traditional home of Sauvignon Blanc. Thys Louw, winemaker and proprietor of Diemersdal, says his farm’s Durbanville terroir provides the backbone for The Journal, but is complemented by the important roles of two vital elements: wood and maturation temperature.
“For the Journal’s classic touch, the wine has to be oaked,” says Louw. “And not just as an afterthought. We use new French 500l French oak barrels, including some premium Stockinger vessels from Austria, which are absolutely incredible in bringing out complexity and depth in white wine.
“During the nine months in barrel, the wine was kept at 9°C, as I have seen the vignerons do in France with Sauvignon Blanc. This adds another dimension to the wine, slowly coaxing the flavours and keeping the taste profile restrained and classic. While the wood helps in giving the wine a complex mouthfeel, the fresh, brightness of the Sauvignon Blanc grape is still evident, but it lingers and impresses with deft palate-weight.”
Diemersdal The Journal Sauvignon Blanc 2024 is available at a recommended retail price of R355 per bottle.
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