If I read another press release describing any wine competition - South African or international - as the 'most prestigious/credible/respected', I shall throw a glass of the sweatiest sauvignon I can find at my monitor! My finger can't hit the delete button quickly enough and I'm sure many of my colleagues feel the same.

Quite simply, however well-organised a competition might be and however competent the judges, lucky or fluke winners inevitably pop up. Results depend as much on the dynamic of the panel - its make up and personal preference of the judges - as they do on bottle variation.

Ultimately, it's not winning an award that counts, but how it is used in an overall marketing plan. If you have to tell us about the year's bling, why not release an end-of-the year report, amalgamating all awards? All these individual alerts from each of the increasing number of competitions cause endless frustration and, for me at least, don't have the desired effect.

I was just about to applaud the winners of this year's Wine magazine Top Ten Sauvignon Blanc awards for not bombarding my in-box, when one arrived! Such is the quality of the 2009 sauvignons that, over and above the top ten, which included three five star wines (pictured here), a further six received 4.5 stars. Having had the opportunity of tasting the winners, it's clear the judges kept nicely open minds and chose a wide diversity of styles, so there should be something for all sauvignon enthusiasts.

My personal favourites are the oh-so-elegant Graham Beck Pheasants' Run 2009, the rich and sleekly sophisticated Fleur du Cap Unfiltered Limited Release 2009 and invigorating, minerally Delaire Graff 2009. Hats off too to the Pheasants' Run 2008, a more difficult sauvignon year, which also made it into the top ten.

Not only are these wines good now, they've got much more to develop and I fully expect to see some five star ratings when Wine magazine re-tastes them in five years' time; that should also include the Steenberg Reserve, a proven ager, which managed 'only' four stars on this occasion!

And yet more sauvignons

I mentioned in my piece on the Hemel en Aarde that in the 'Upper' ward, that sauvignon is by far the dominant variety, despite pinot noir being viewed as the trademark grape. But it's sauvignon rather than pinot that Marc van Halderen is concentrating on at La Vierge (www.lavierge.co.za); the only wine that includes pinot (23%) is the maiden Domaines des Dieux Claudia 2006 Méthode Cap Classique (Domaines des Dieux is a separate property in the Hemel en Aarde Ridge Ward).

Tim James, Cathy van Zyl, Ingrid Motteux and I tasted this, as well as the La Vierge Syrah Mourvèdre Viognier 2007 at our last get together, while I sampled the other wines mentioned below, alone. The MCC (15/20) has many good things going for it, but seem to lack cohesion. There's attractive, if simple creamy raspberry notes with some biscuity development but the bubble is very frothy and unsustained. Although just on only 9 grams of residual sugar, it has a rich, brandy-like taste. Not good value at R130.

We also rated the La Vierge Temptation Syrah Mourvèdre Viognier 2007 15/20, R95. The syrah (79%) and viognier (6%) come from the Hemel en Aarde Ridge Ward, the mourvèdre from Standford. Each variety was vinified and aged separately, with 17 months in 30% new French oak. This is well assimilated allowing the rich black pepper aromas and supple texture to set the style; a little tannin suggests the benefits of ageing. One warning, we all noted a liveliness and vibrancy that will need to be watched as time goes by.

Such freshness seems to be a thread throughout the other wines I tried. In the Domaines des Dieux Chardonnay 2008 (R120) it is well set off by concentrated limey fruit and leesy richness gained from nine months in barrel. It should see benefit from a further two to three years. Worth 16/20.

The La Vierge Redemption Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (R95) and La Vierge Temptation Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (R75) (one has to be on the ball to master these different names; I'm not sure whether winelovers will bother) are less successful. Remembering the former is from 2008, with fruit from Hemel en Aarde Valley, is water white with minerally restraint both on nose and palate. It's pleasant, but lacks intensity and I doubt it will benefit from further ageing. (15/20). The 2009 sauvignon (with 6% semillon) originates from the Ridge ward. More expressive than the Redemption, it shows tropical fig with some reductive sweat (hmm, could do for the monitor target!), and juicy, ripe flavours; regrettably, these are overpowered by the nearly 7 grams of acid. (14/20)