Gabriëlskloof 'Amphora' Sauvignon Blanc 2022

Look, if new-world Savyv-B is your go-to, we probably won't recommend you this one first. This is atypical Sauvignon, and we bloody love it for that reason. The wine is amazingly concentrated, has a lovely waxy texture, a subtle salinity and is (perhaps most unusually for new world Sauvignon) restrained. Think juicy fleshy pear, ripe apple, pink grapefruit and clementine. Maybe a little whiff of smoke, too. On the palate it is soft, silky and weighty and that touch of salt lingers on for an eternity. A stunning wine, made by wonderful people.

The grapes were whole bunch pressed and fermented in locally-made clay amphorae ranging from 500 to 860L. Their surface is porous, with no lining inside, allowing for light micro-oxidation during the maturation process and enhancing the wine’s mouthfeel. The wine was aged in the clay amphorae for 10 months before bottling.

Gabriëlskloof is a beautiful wine estate located near Bot River in the Overberg region east of Cape Town. It was purchased in 2001 by Bernhard Heyns, who had been on the lookout for the ideal place to plant vines. Peter-Allan Finlayson of Crystallum, Bernhard’s son in law, took over as winemaker from the 2015 vintage. We're not alone in professing to be fans of his undisputed winemaking genius. Peter-Allan is now Cellar Master and oversees general management of the property, while the young and no less talented Nina Muller was promoted to winemaker. The farm has 178 hectares, with 68 hectares planted with vines. The climate is cool with maritime influences coming from Walker Bay. The vineyards are farmed sustainably with the support of full-time vineyard consultant Rosa Kruger. Their aim is to move to certified organic farming in the future.