Wine Review: Amphora Sauvignon Blanc 2023
Think you know Sauvignon Blanc? Think again!
I’ve never really been the biggest fan of sauvignon blanc. When it comes to the world of white wine, it’s a very good everyday drink to rush to, but it’s just not my cup of tea (sorry, wrong beverage!) when there are so many other choices to choose from. More often then note, I rarely end up truly satisfied, with my last outing with a new world SB ending in mixed feelings.
So let me tell that it was with a smidge of apprehension when for my birthday, I was gifted a bottle of savvy B by a couple of lovely friends. So, will this be a pleasure, or a pain?
Wine: Gabrielskloof Amphora Sauvignon Blanc 2023
Producer: Gabrielskloof
Grape(s): Sauvignon Blanc
Country: South Africa
Region: Bot River
Alcohol: 13.5%
Vintage: 2023
Price: Not entirely sure how much and where from, but possibly £25 - £30
There’s something about South African wine that really nails it. When it’s good, it’s great. When it’s bad…I don’t really know what happens then, I’ll let you know when one appears! Anyway, this wine comes from Bot River, which get a blast of southerly wind from the Atlantic Ocean, resulting in low yields but gaining intense concentration in the grapes. Theoretically, this should make for a tasty wine.
Sourcing grapes from prime real estate is one thing, but the buck doesn’t stop there. The eagle-eyed among you might guess how the grapes are fermented due to the name of the wine. I’ll give you a second to scroll back to the top of the review and check.
Amphora. This wine, as the name suggests, is fermented in great clay pots after initially pressed and skins discarded. It’s a very traditional way of making wine, with the clay being porous, allowing for oxidation. This is also whilst dead yeast cells (the lees, as they call it) are still in the pot, helping the wine develop a distinct texture.
But does this actually make a difference in the final product? Is this just another half-decent sauvignon blanc that you’d be better off saving your pounds and getting something of the shelves at Tesco for half the price? Let’s find out!
Out and in the glass, it’s a confident straw colour. Not so pale as to be mistaken for water, it glistens in the glass (especially on the lovely hot day I was sampling this!). Putting it to my nose, it definitely smells like SB, with gooseberry rushing forward, although nowhere near the honks of freshly cut grass that you can get with some new world wines. There’s something a bit different to it though. It might sound crazy, but you definitely get a sort of minerality to it, almost like clay (confirmation bias ahoy!). It finished off with a touch of smokiness to it, very pleasant indeed.
It really shines once on the palate. Far from a zippy light-bodied wine you might expect, there’s a richness and weight, a creamy mouthfeel. This is definitely due to the lees aging in the clay pots. There is still acidity there, enough to keep a good structure and keeps it from falling apart. Really nice tropical flavours swim around, developing nicely as it goes down. A decently long finish leaves you wanting another glass.
I don’t know whether it was because of the weather, but despite the complexity in the glass, I really wished it turned up the acidity just a notch. Aside from that, a very interesting splash of wine! I didn’t have any food with it, but I imagine that creamy richness would lend itself very well to amplifying a cream-based chicken dish, or contrasting with an acidic shellfish meal (possibly a prawn cocktail!).
All in all, a really interesting and rewarding take on sauvignon blanc. If you’re fond of the grape (and the numbers show that, statistically, most of you probably are.) give it a go! Heck, even if you’re not (like me), it’s a lovely wine that shaves off some of the things sauvignon blanc has a reputation for. A lovely birthday gift, and one I’d be happy to get gifted again!
Chin-chin,
Your SB-sceptical, amphora-curious, pleasantly-surprised, wine reviewer Ben
I'm thirsty, buy me a glass of wine! Your tip goes towards supporting the blog, and is immensely appreciated.
If you'd like to see a specific wine featured, donate the price, message me the wine, producer, vintage, and where to purchase, and I'll get my hands on it and review!