FNB Top 10 judges impressed by depth and complexity

South Africa’s leading showcase of Sauvignon Blanc is underway, with no less than 167 entries from 98 producers competing for a coveted place in the 2025 FNB Sauvignon Blanc SA Top 10.

Now in its 19^th year, the competition presented by Sauvignon Blanc South Africa along with Top 10 title partner FNB and platinum partner Ever Solutions, drew a diverse range of entries across five vintages (2021–2025).

A new panel convenor, Dr Carien Coetzee, is leading the judging over three days, from Tuesday 26 to Thursday 28 August, at Bontevlei in Stellenbosch.

Coetzee, a seasoned Sauvignon Blanc judge who combines technical expertise with a visionary approach to wine evaluation, is joined by a panel of six respected experts, bringing together technical mastery, market knowledge and stylistic appreciation: Dr Winifred Bowman, Cape Wine Master and seasoned international judge, Praisy Dlamini, winemaker and CEO of Adama Wines and HER Wine Collection, winemaker Morgan Steyn of De Grendel Wines, winemaker Juandré Bruwer of Diemersdal Wine Estate, as well as two guest judges, Liezl Richards, Cape Wine Master and national sales and export manager of Gabriëlskloof, and Lauren Segers-Jewell, buyer and sales manager at Wine Cellar.

The panel praised older vintages, highlighting the ageability of Sauvignon Blanc wines when cellared under ideal conditions. Coetzee noted experimentation by winemakers, such as lees aging and innovative vessel use in unwooded entries, providing an additional dimension to already impressive wines.

“As seen increasingly in recent years, oak is put to good use while still respecting the Sauvignon Blanc character,” Coetzee said. “The panel commended greener styles, especially from the 2025 vintage, a pleasant revelation, showing vibrancy, ripeness, expressiveness and complexity, with remarkable depth of flavour.” 

ENHANCING CREDIBILITY: DIGITAL JUDGING AND AI-ASSISTED SENSORY PROFILING

This year introduces a collaboration with French company Winespace, which brings its pioneering TASTEE judging platform to the judging.

“This electronic platform allows real-time tracking of scores with immediate access to data during the evaluation of the respective wines, improving efficiency, transparency and traceability,” Coetzee says. 

For the top-performing wines, judges’ tasting notes are processed by Winespace’s AI to generate professional sensory profiles, which will be shared confidentially with producers.

“This means the competition not only streamlines the judging process but also delivers valuable, data-driven insights to winemakers, helping refine wine style, enhance quality and strengthen brand positioning,” Coetzee says. “It underscores our commitment to credibility, innovation and premiumisation. We are grateful for the support of Tonnellerie Sylvain, the well-known French cooperage, who came on board as a bronze partner of Sauvignon Blanc South Africa to enable this innovation.”

IMPORTANT DATES

The Top 20 finalists will be announced on Monday, 8 September, with the Top 10 winners revealed on Wednesday, 15 October at the FNB Sauvignon Blanc SA Top 10 Awards. A technical seminar and the Sauvignon Blanc SA Annual General Meeting are scheduled for Wednesday, 12 November at Hazendal Wine Estate.

For more information, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or 082 808 1114. Follow Sauvignon Blanc SA on X (@SauvignonSA), and on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn (@sauvignonblancsa) and join the conversation using #SauvignonBlancSA.