John Loubser has been producing wine for the Cape Winemakers Guild (CWG) since he was invited to join in 2004. The first wine he produced was a Barrel fermented Sauvignon Blanc which was followed in 2007 and 2008 by a wine called ‘The White Savage’: A blend of Sauvignon and Semillon which exhibited the fullness and citrus weight of Semillon yet the bracing minerality and herbaceous influence of Sauvignon Blanc. Named for the literal English translation of Sauvignon Blanc, the 2008 White Savage achieved the highest price ever at the Guild Auction by any white wine at an average of R536 per bottle (ex. VAT).
In 2009, in search of something new and always looking to innovate, John introduced a Sauvignon Blanc named the Magus. The 2009 had a small Semillon component yet was more focused on Sauvignon Blanc.
The 2010 Magus is, of course, 100% Sauvignon Blanc: the varietal which does so well on the slopes at Steenberg! It was recently awarded a 5-star rating in the 2012 Platters Guide, 92 points from James Molesworth (Senior Editor of Wine Spectator) and 90 points from Steve Tanzer (Editor and Publisher of International Wine Cellar Journal).
“This live wire bristles with thyme, chive flower and gooseberry notes, joined by riveting sea salt and crunchy acidity that courses through the finish. Sauvignon Blanc.” Molesworth
The 2010 Magus constitutes some Darling fruit, giving the wine its white asparagus influence and dense pungency with the Constantia grapes contributing a gun-smoke and flint influence: “The philosophy is to make the best possible Sauvignon Blanc using more than one terroir source” claims John. After overnight skin contact the juice was settled and racked into second-fill 500 litre French oak barrels for 2 months: “We wanted to make something different as there are not that many barrel fermented Sauvignon Blancs out there, and the CWG provides the perfect platform for us to do just that.”
This year the 2010 Magus sold for an average of R222 (ex. VAT) per bottle with double the volume than that of previous years produced.
Since its inception in 1985, The CWG Auction has become a quality benchmark and the CWG label is an authentic assurance of quality recognised by leading wine buyers both locally and abroad. Uniquely, the handful of selected wines produced exclusively by members of the Cape Winemakers Guild are auctioned individually at the CWG Auction and are only available at the Auction.
In true CWG spirit the next offering from Steenberg promises to be something a little different, watch this space…
The 2010 Magus is available from Steenberg Cellar Door in limited quantities.