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Video Transcript: Popular White Wines from South Africa

Written By: ClassicWines.com Team on Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Brian Freedman: Welcome to the Classicwines.com South African Sauvignon Blanc Showdown. I am your host Brian Freedman. Today we will be tasting two wines from South Africa. Now I have to tell you white wines from South African have been really getting me excited lately, whether it's Chenin Blanc, the South Africans call it Steen, or Sauvignon blanc, I really think they are doing some great interesting things down there.

Now wine number one here is the Mulderbosch 2007 Sauvignon Blanc and obviously I mean the label is so hard to miss, you're either likely familiar with it or you're not going to forget a label that looks like this. And wine number two is the Porcupine Ridge Sauvignon Blanc 2006.

So wine number one here, I am really curious to taste this wine; I've heard some good things about it, and this is already clearly exhibiting the more clear or at least very pale color that we would expect from many Sauvignon Blancs. Wow! With Sauvignon Blanc you tend to expect something a little bit grassy on the nose, perhaps like that smell that you get when you cut open a green bell pepper, but I have to tell you, this one is sort of smacking me across the nostrils with it, neither good nor bad, just an observation.

Well, it's kind of like how can we describe this. It could be like a liquid pureed salad, could be like chewing on a blade of grass on one side of your mouth and then cooked asparagus on the other. It's not bad, don't get me wrong here. It's definitely not the kind of wine I'd want to drink on its own, which I find is the case with a lot of Sauvignon Blancs. I'd love this with everything from artichokes, to goat cheese, certainly if I were having a salad. It's not bad but it's so forward in that grassy aspect.

Wine number two here is the Porcupine Ridge 2006 Sauvignon Blanc. This one is a bit lighter than the Mulderbosch. Wow! Now this one has a whole other universe in there. It smells kind of -- it smells kind of like gooseberries, it's much fruitier. I don't want to say tropical, it's not like in that New Zealand tropical ripe fruit style but there's much more fruit to this one. There's also a bit of spice to it, almost like a white peppercorn sort of thing going on there. This is very cool.

Well, I have to tell you, this one is so balanced and the finish just keeps rolling on so elegantly. There is no question why the Porcupine Ridge is the winner of our Classicwines.com South African Sauvignon Blanc Showdown. It's more balanced; I think it offers a wider range of flavors and aromas without sacrificing any of the complexity and nuance. This is really a beautiful wine for both drinking on its own and for drinking with lighter summer time fare.

Remember both of these wines are available on Classicwines.com. For all of us here; I am your host Brian Freedman. Cheers.

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Wines Featured In Video Transcript: Popular White Wines from South Africa

Mulderbosch 2007 Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Africa > South Africa > Stellenbosch

  

Porcupine Ridge 2006 Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Africa > South Africa

  

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