Top South African white blends

South Africa’s blended white wine is a flagship for the country’s overall offering. Here, Tim Atkin MW lists his favourite wines Mediterranean style white blends in this strengthening category.

South Africa’s best wines are its white blends. In fact, I’d go further than that, writes Tim Atkin.

They may be less well-known than varietal Chardonnays, Sauvignon Blancs and Chenin Blancs, but South African white blends are some of the most exciting and best value wines in the New World. They may only represent what Tim James in his book, Wines of the New South Africa, calls “a tiny proportion of South African production”, but they are vital for the industry’s image and sense of worth.

The category is remarkably recent, emerging, like so many positive trends in Cape wine, since the first democratic elections in 1994. In fact, you could argue that white blends really began in 2001, when André van Rensburg, the outspoken winemaker at Vergelegen, launched what he now calls his GVB White: a barrel-fermented Bordeaux style blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.

Click through for Atkin’s pick of the top 15 South African white ‘Mediterranean style’ blends…

2013 Alheit Vineyards Cartology, Western Cape

2013 Bellingham The Bernard Series Grenach with Viognier, Paarl

2012 BLANKbottle Moment of Silence, Wellington

2013 David Aristargos, Swartland

2013 Fable Jackal Bird, Western Cape

2013 Keermont Terrasse, Stellenbosch

2013 Lourensford Winemaker’s Selection Reserve White Blend, Stellenbosch

2011 Miles Mossop Saskia, Coastal

2012 Mullineux White Blend, Swartland

2012 Rall White, Coastal

2013 Sadie Family ‘T Voetpad, Swartland

2013 Skerpioen, Swartland

2012 Sadie Family Palladius, Swartland

2009 Sterhuis Astra White, Stellenbosch

2008 vintage pictured

2014 Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse White Blend, Western Cape