Savage Wines Salt River Sauvignon Blanc 2023

The very best wines from the country come from vineyards with a heavy maritime influence, unmatched almost anywhere else in the world. Perhaps no one is more familiar with the trials and tribulations of these very special locales than Duncan Savage – the man behind the curtain for many years at Cape Point Vineyards. It was here that he became obsessed with with marine-influenced wines – so much so that he started his own project out of his garage.

In 2011, he started by making a few hundred cases a year while maintaining his head post at Cape Point Vineyards. However, he quickly noticed that demand for his eponymous wines far outpaced supply. He simply couldn’t handle the inbound calls, and created a website, allowing people subscribe to his list, and then once a year, he releases his inventory to the lucky few.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate was the first critical voice to fall in love, declaring: “He [Duncan Savage] makes some of South Africa’s greatest wines either at Cape Point Vineyards and the bijou namesake label.” But it wasn’t long before Jancis Robinson, Tim Atkin and others took notice of Savage’s talent and the very special lineup of wines he was crafting.

Today, the waitlist for Savage’s wines is one of the longest in the country. His desire to maximize the possibilities of South African wine have made him a local hero, and his small urban winery in Salt River, Cape Town is one of the hottest reservations of any place in the entire country.