Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc Trio impresses Tim Atkin

Tim Atkin’s South Africa 2021 Special Report rewards Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc with international acclaim. Their dedicated focus on Sauvignon Blanc as a pure expression of Steenberg’s terroir spans over 30 years, yielding excellent wines.

Steenberg Vineyards is synonymous with Sauvignon Blanc. Their wines offer great complexity and are individual representations of the farm’s unique sense of place in the Constantia Valley. 

Breaking 90 points

All three expressions of Sauvignon Blanc – Steenberg The Black Swan Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Steenberg Rattlesnake Sauvignon Blanc 2019 as well as Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc 2020 – broke the venerable 90 point barrier this year.

The Black Swan 2020 Sauvignon Blanc

Firstly, top scorer on 92/100 is The Black Swan 2020. Steenberg’s flagship Sauvignon Blanc is crafted from the best vineyard block of the vintage. In his tasting notes, Atkin refers to the wine as ‘weighty’ despite being unwooded. He describes it as ‘leesy, creamy and intense, with blackcurrant leaf acidity and a palate that combines grapefruit and mangetout flavours.’ 

Rattlesnake Sauvignon Blanc 2019

Secondly, Atkin awarded a score of 91 points to the beautifully textured and lightly wooded Rattlesnake Sauvignon Blanc 2019. He refers the wine as ‘an intensely herbal Blanc Fumé style with well-integrated oak, pink grapefruit and cut grass flavours, racy acidity and the concentration to age further in bottle.’

Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc 2020

And lastly, Atkin’s take on Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc 2020, ‘sappy and fresh’. He scored the wine 90 points. He describes it as intense, combining aromas of fresh herbs and green beans with gooseberry and cream soda notes. This zesty expression of a variety of vineyard blocks captures the full flavour spectrum of Steenberg’s cool climate terroir.

Accomplished Cellarmaster Elunda Basson joined Steenberg Vineyards in June 2019. She has, of course, set her sights on securing Steenberg’s rightful place as a producer of top tier Sauvignon Blanc. 

“Our vines are rooted in lean soils which are excellent for Sauvignon Blanc as they naturally keep the yields low, concentrate the flavours and add a distinctive minerality to the wines. This incredible terroir and the unique micro climate of our cool, east facing slopes inspire us daily to create wines with a strong sense of place,” says Elunda. 

Lady R 2016

Atkin, a British Master of Wine and an accomplished commentator, has extensive experience when it comes South African wines. He also has high praise for Steenberg’s grande cuvée, Lady R 2016, awarding this elegant signature Cap Classique 93 points.

He tasted 1 800 local wines for his 9^th SA Special Report. Wine experts the world over regard his report as a trustworthy independent assessment of the country’s wines.

For more information or online purchases, visit www.steenbergfarm.com.