Noble Late Harvest
Aptly demonstrating that Durbanville Hills Wines is synonymous with the production of exceptional Sauvignon blancs, the winery received the coveted Grand D’Or (double gold) for its 2013 Rhinofields Sauvignon Blanc and for its 2012 Rhinofields Noble Late Harvest, made from Sauvignon blanc grapes, at the 2013 Michelangelo International Wine Awards. The cellar’s 2011 Rhinofields Merlot, 2012 Rhinofields Sauvignon Blanc and 2013 Durbanville Hills Sauvignon Blanc all received gold.
The competition is judged by a panel of top international wine makers, wine buyers, sommeliers and wine writers whose brief is to identify the best South African wines according to international standards and market preferences.
According to cellar master Martin Moore, the fact that the 2013 Durbanville Hills Sauvignon Blanc, a wine produced in greater quantities than the Rhinofields range, has been awarded gold, is heartwarming.
Rhinofields Sauvignon Blanc
“We have three wine ranges, each depicting our unique terroir and the Hills range was created with the cellar’s inception in 1999 to bring approachable and exceptionally food-friendly wines to consumers countrywide. We firmly believe award-winning wines should be available to consumers to enjoy and the latest gold medal added to our very popular Sauvignon blanc in the Hills range, confirms just that. We continuously strive to ensure consistent quality and freshness, no matter the bottling date, so consumers can be assured the wine they tasted a few months back is the exact same blend as the one they are drinking now.”
He further comments that Durbanville Hills has over the years become known for its top quality Sauvignon blancs, enabling the cellar to become one of the country’s top super-premium wine brands.
“The two double gold and two gold awards for our Sauvignon blancs across our wine ranges, confirms the importance of our location, a mere 20 minutes from Cape Town. This location provides an extraordinary terroir for Sauvignon blanc. In addition to the diversity of aspects provided by the hills of the area, moist air off both False Bay and the cold Atlantic cools the vineyards during the hot summer months.
“Our range of red wines also benefits from the valley outskirts and opposing northern slopes and I’m very proud to see that one of Merlot’s too, impressed the judges at these years’ awards.”
The grapes for the 2013 Rhinofields Sauvignon Blanc were sourced from a south-facing vineyard. The varietal character from especially those hand-picked from the higher slopes, were particularly strong and produced a wine with an abundance of tropical fruit. It’s a mouth-filling wine with green apple, guava and lime flavours with a slight herbaceousness. Delicious served on its own or with tempura prawns, butter chicken, deep fried scallops or pad Thai noodles.
A fairly new addition to the Rhinofields range of wines, the 2012 Noble Late Harvest is produced from grapes sourced from one of the highest-lying Sauvignon blanc vineyard blocks in the area. This south-facing slope offers a natural protection against late afternoon sun resulting in the gradual ripening of the fruit. The wine is a delightful combination of honeycomb, citrus, dried peaches, apricots and fig preserve. Lovely to enjoy on its own after dinner or served with strong cheeses, fig preserve and patés.
The 2012 Rhinofields Noble Late Harvest is currently only available from the cellar at R98 for the 375ml bottle and the 2013 Durbanville Hills Sauvignon Blanc is available from leading retailers retailing at R55 per bottle. Although the 2013 Rhinofields Sauvignon Blanc has not yet been released, the 2012 Rhinofields Sauvignon Blanc is available from the cellar and fine liquor outlets at a retail price of R85 per bottle.
