Steenberg Vineyards has unveiled the Canvas Collection, a small, considered collection of wines highlighting a creative niche within the estate’s precise and focused portfolio. Shaped by the close collaboration between cellarmaster Elunda Basson and viticulturist Vlok Hanekom, the collection reflects a shared philosophy: that the most compelling wines emerge when detailed vineyard work is given the freedom to express itself in the cellar. Comprising Semillon, Nebbiolo and Blanc (Steenberg’s newly evolved wooded Sauvignon Blanc), the Canvas Collection is rooted in Constantia’s cool-climate identity, yet deliberately steps beyond convention.
The philosophy behind the Canvas Collection is grounded in freedom and craft. While Steenberg’s core range is defined by clarity of style and precision – from Black Swan to the estate’s classic Sauvignon Blanc – Canvas creates a space where blending, oak and site diversity are explored more intuitively. For Basson, the collection represents a creative outlet within a disciplined portfolio; for Hanekom, it is the natural extension of years of detailed, block-by-block vineyard work across different aspects, exposures and micro-sites on the farm.
This creative intent is carried through into the visual identity and packaging of the Canvas Collection, which introduces a distinctly contemporary expression within Steenberg’s established aesthetic. In collaboration with South African conceptual artist Athol Moult, the labels draw on the idea of the bottle as a canvas, a quiet, open space marked by deliberate human gesture. A carved swan feather, referencing Swaaneweide, “the feeding place of the swans”, anchors the design in Steenberg’s origin story and sense of place, while two expressive brushstrokes signal the moment of creative decision behind each wine. The result is a refined yet tactile label, with generous negative space and canvas-like materiality, that reflects Steenberg’s philosophy of restraint, precision and the human hand behind every vintage.
At the heart of the collection is Blanc, Steenberg’s reimagined wooded Sauvignon Blanc and the most expressive articulation of this creative intent. Blanc replaces the estate’s previous barrel-fermented expression, marking a deliberate shift towards a more serious, layered and age-worthy Sauvignon Blanc. Bottled under cork and matured in quality French oak, Blanc draws on fruit from multiple vineyard blocks, each farmed and harvested separately, before being blended to capture both the cool-climate purity of Sauvignon Blanc and the depth and texture that come from oak and subtle Semillon influence. “This is the space where we allow the wine to show us what it wants to be,” says Basson. “It’s not about category or convention, it’s about crafting the best Sauvignon Blanc we can from what the farm gives us.” The result is a Sauvignon without rules, shaped by both vineyard readiness and winemaking instinct.
Alongside Blanc, the Canvas Collection also gives voice to two varietals seldom seen as standalone expressions in South Africa. Steenberg’s Semillon challenges the convention of the grape being used primarily as a blending component, presenting a 100% Semillon shaped by Constantia’s cool climate and matured in French oak. The result is a poised, textured wine with layered aromatics and a natural affinity for food, evolving in complexity and depth with age. The estate’s commitment to Semillon has already been recognised, with Steenberg’s Semillon named Best in Category at Platter’s Wine Guide 2023, affirming its position as one of the country’s leading expressions of the varietal.
Nebbiolo completes the trio as one of the most distinctive expressions in Steenberg’s cellar and a true niche varietal in the South African fine wine landscape. Steenberg was the first estate in the country to plant Nebbiolo, inspired by a former farm manager’s encounter with the grape in Piedmont, Italy, and the belief that Constantia’s cool-climate conditions could offer a natural home for the variety. The resulting wine balances Nebbiolo’s hallmark acidity and structure with an elegance shaped by place, offering a compelling, food-focused expression that develops beautifully with time.
The Canvas Collection reflects the combined imprint of vineyard and cellar – the detailed viticulture led by Hanekom and the blending and stylistic vision of Basson. Years of precise vineyard work have prepared the estate for this more expressive, blended style, allowing site diversity to become a creative asset rather than a constraint. “The blended wine is always greater than the sum of its parts,” Basson notes. “Canvas is where the beauty of winemaking is allowed to show itself – guided by the vineyard, not confined by category.”
Basson’s leadership in the Sauvignon Blanc category further reinforces Steenberg’s position at the forefront of evolving white wine styles. As chairperson of the Sauvignon Blanc Association and cellarmaster of Steenberg Vineyards, she has overseen the estate’s recognition for two Sauvignon Blanc blends in 2025, including Magna Carta’s continued acclaim as a top Cape Bordeaux White Blend, and the inclusion of Steenberg’s Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc 2023 in the FNB Sauvignon Blanc Top 10, one of only two wooded Sauvignon Blancs to receive this distinction. As wooded Sauvignon Blanc styles gain recognition for their quality and longevity, Steenberg is positioning itself as a leading voice in shaping the Blanc Fumé space locally, with Blanc marking the next evolution of this journey.