The end of apartheid a decade ago opened the door to the export of South African wines to the United States, even if there wasn’t that much to get excited about back then. Well, now there is.
A taste of the 2003 Sauvignon Blanc from the Kanu winery is a delightful confirmation that South Africa is making some modern, first-class wines that, as far as Southern Hemisphere Sauvignons go, can compete with the best from New Zealand and Chile and, beyond, those of France and California as well.
I sampled the wine twice, paying $12 for it at two stores. In one I found it buried on a back shelf (I guess they didn’t know what they had); in the other I found quite the opposite as a young salesman handed me a bottle with enthusiasm and his own endorsement. On tasting it, my journalistic skepticism about sales pitches quickly went away, at least for this wine.
Slightly green in color, Kanu’s “Limited Release” Sauvignon has a rather exotic aroma of pink grapefruit, which was also present in the mouth, along with orange, apple, a hint of strawberry, some herbs and a touch of honey. There’s a lot there, and it all combines in a fresh, lively and ripe Sauvignon that is full of character.
The winery is in the well-known Stellenbosch area of the Western Cape, which is not far from Cape Town and benefits from the moderating weather influences of the Atlantic Ocean. Kanu has mainly developed a reputation for its Chenin Blanc, which is still the most widely planted grape in South Africa.
Kanu purchases most of its grapes from various vineyards in Stellenbosch. Tellingly, the Sauvignon Blanc comes from vines that are only eight to 18 years old, which makes the wine’s quality even more impressive. About 6,600 cases were produced, of which 3,000 were shipped to the United States. Kanu also produces Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.
The winery, which was founded in 1997, has a big corporate owner, Hydro Holdings, which, a year earlier, had purchased the well-known Mulderbosch winery. South Africa has arrived, and the wines are well worth exploring.
Edward Deitch's wine column appears Thursdays. Write to him at .