Nitida Sauvignon Blanc2012

Although we are in the throes of winter and indulging in some fine reds, there have been a few lovely new white wines arriving on our shelves and especially the newly released 2012 Sauvignon Blancs. 

Sauvignons vary in taste and style from the many regions where it is grown, but I have always been partial towards the ones produced from the Durbanville area.

Durbanville is unsurpassed in delivering long, slow, cool ripening conditions because of its surprisingly high altitude and close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, just 10 kilometres away.

The cool sea breezes and swirling thick mists that pour into the valley ensure perfect cooling and gentle rehydrating for the soils. The vineyards on the hills benefit from the exceptionally long sunshine hours which assist the rich tropical fruit flavours found in their Sauvignon Blancs. All these factors make Durbanville specially suited to delivering premium quality Sauvignon Blanc wines that combine beautiful pyrazine flavours with superb fruit. The added bonus of excellent natural acids means these wines will also age well maintaining their essential freshness along the way.

A winery that has produced consistently good Sauvignon Blanc since its first vintage in 1995 is Nitida, which has an enviable track record as being one of South Africa’s finest producers of this cultivar. In 2009, they also triumphed as the best producer at the Michelangelo International Wine Awards and are one of only three farms rated more than once in Wine Magazine’s Top 10 Sauvignon Blanc competition!

The winery is named after the Nitida protea that grows on the farm, and has a reputation for its cellar-door hospitality and award-winning wines.

Today Nitida makes six different styles of Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc blends. Each of the wines are stylistically different, which the winemaking team achieve through special tank selections and varying additions of Semillon. This ultimately gives the wines extra concentrated flavour as well as the chance to age gracefully.

The vines for the Nitida Sauvignon Blanc 2012 were carefully managed prior to harvest. This meant partially opening up the canopy (the leaves covering the bunches of grapes) for optimal sun exposure which helped to produce healthy grapes. This enhanced the development of the fruit during ripening and ensured a beneficial balance of characteristic Sauvignon flavours.

The moderate summer climate resulted in a late start to the 2012 harvest at Nitida. Although they experienced a short heat wave towards the end of January it had little effect on their cool climate vines even though there was no rain from December till the end of harvest.

The 2012 Sauvignon Blanc has pale hue of straw with Cape gooseberries, lime and minerally aromas. The palate is deliciously crisp and fresh, offering tropical fruit flavours, along with hints of green pepper on the long lasting finish.

A perfect wine to enjoy now and of course later with your summer buffets in a few months time!

Expect to pay: R89.50