Top SA red wines and top SA red wine cellars over the past 10 years – best track records between 2004 and 2013
SOUTH AFRICA’S 2014 Wine & Cellar Classifications on the basis of the best track records in 25 local and international blind-tasting forums over the past 10 years have just been released. To be eligible for Classification, a wine must have been made and bottled in South Africa and must have earned very good reviews by at least one of the top judging panels for at least three vintages during the period under review – 2004 to 2013 for the 2014 Classification. The panels include those of Platter’s wine guide (5 Stars and Highly Recommended), the Trophy Wine Show and the Michelangelo awards, Veritas and the Six Nations Challenge, Decanter, the International Wine Challenge and IWSC – to mention just eight of the 25. And thereafter it is the number of top-rated vintages and the type of accolades that determine Top 20 and Top 10 rankings among South Africa’s most fancied wines in recent times.
The top rankings as regards the latest red wine Classifications are as follows, given in alphabetical order. See here for the Top 20 rankings in various categories plus the names of the Top 50 white and red wine cellars, the Top 100 cellars overall and those ultra-consistent bottlings in the Top Wine SA Hall of Fame (for eight or more top-rated vintages during the past 10 years).
TOP 10 SA CABERNET SAUVIGNON – 2014
Boekenhoutskloof
Cederberg Five Generations
De Trafford
Fleur du Cap Unfiltered (Bergkelder)
Guardian Peak Lapa
Kanonkop
Nederburg Private Bin R163
Rustenberg Peter Barlow
Stark-Conde Three Pines
Thelema
TOP 10 SA MERLOT – 2014
Anura Reserve
De Grendel
Dieu Donne
Durbanville Hills Luipaardsberg
Fleur du Cap Unfiltered (Bergkelder)
Hartenberg
Longridge
Rust en Vrede
Shannon Mount Bullet
Thelema Reserve
TOP 10 SA PINOT NOIR – 2014
Bouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak
Bouchard Finlayson Tete de Cuvee Galpin Peak
Chamonix Reserve
Crystallum Cuvee Cinema
Hamilton Russell
Meerlust
Newton Johnson Family Vineyards
Oak Valley
Paul Cluver Seven Flags
Sumaridge
TOP 10 PINOTAGE – 2014
Beyerskloof Reserve
Diemersfontein Carpe Diem
Kaapzicht Steytler
Kanonkop
Moreson
Rijk’s
Simonsig Redhill
Spier Private Collection
Stellenzicht Golden Triangle
Windmeul Reserve
TOP 10 SA SHIRAZ/SYRAH – 2014
Boekenhoutskloof
Cederberg
Cirrus
De Trafford 393
Hartenberg Gravel Hill
Hartenberg The Stork
Kleine Zalze Family Reserve
Saronsberg
Saxenburg Private Collection
Simonsig Merindol
TOP SA NICHE RED VARIETIES – 2014
Neethlingshof Lord Neethling Cabernet Franc
Raats Family Cabernet Franc
Rainbow’s End Cabernet Franc
Warwick Cabernet Franc
Whalehaven Cabernet Franc
Neil Ellis Vineyard Selection Grenache
Doolhof Malbec
KWV The Mentors Petit Verdot
TOP 10 SA RED BLENDS – 2014
De Toren Fusion V
Ernie Els Proprietor’s Blend
Ernie Els Signature
Jordan Cobblers Hill
Kaapzicht Steytler Vision
Kanonkop Paul Sauer
Rust en Vrede Estate
Sadie Columella
Saronsberg Full Circle
Warwick Trilogy
TOP 20 SA RED WINE CELLARS – 2014
Boekenhoutskloof
Cederberg Private Cellar
Chamonix
De Trafford Winery
Diemersfontein
Ernie Els Wines
Guardian Peak Wines
Hamilton Russell Vineyards
Jordan Wine Estate
Kaapzicht Wine Estate
Kanonkop Estate
Kleine Zalze
Rijk’s
Rust en Vrede Estate
Rustenberg Wines
Sadie Family Wines
Saronsberg
Simonsig
Spier
Thelema Mountain Vineyards
Boekenhoutskloof
Cederberg Five Generations
De Trafford
Fleur du Cap Unfiltered (Bergkelder)
Guardian Peak Lapa
Kanonkop
Nederburg Private Bin R163
Rustenberg Peter Barlow
Stark-Conde Three Pines
Thelema
TOP 10 SA MERLOT – 2014
Anura Reserve
De Grendel
Dieu Donne
Durbanville Hills Luipaardsberg
Fleur du Cap Unfiltered (Bergkelder)
Hartenberg
Longridge
Rust en Vrede
Shannon Mount Bullet
Thelema Reserve
TOP 10 SA PINOT NOIR – 2014
Bouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak
Bouchard Finlayson Tete de Cuvee Galpin Peak
Chamonix Reserve
Crystallum Cuvee Cinema
Hamilton Russell
Meerlust
Newton Johnson Family Vineyards
Oak Valley
Paul Cluver Seven Flags
Sumaridge
TOP 10 PINOTAGE – 2014
Beyerskloof Reserve
Diemersfontein Carpe Diem
Kaapzicht Steytler
Kanonkop
Moreson
Rijk’s
Simonsig Redhill
Spier Private Collection
Stellenzicht Golden Triangle
Windmeul Reserve
TOP 10 SA SHIRAZ/SYRAH – 2014
Boekenhoutskloof
Cederberg
Cirrus
De Trafford 393
Hartenberg Gravel Hill
Hartenberg The Stork
Kleine Zalze Family Reserve
Saronsberg
Saxenburg Private Collection
Simonsig Merindol
TOP SA NICHE RED VARIETIES – 2014
Neethlingshof Lord Neethling Cabernet Franc
Raats Family Cabernet Franc
Rainbow’s End Cabernet Franc
Warwick Cabernet Franc
Whalehaven Cabernet Franc
Neil Ellis Vineyard Selection Grenache
Doolhof Malbec
KWV The Mentors Petit Verdot
TOP 10 SA RED BLENDS – 2014
De Toren Fusion V
Ernie Els Proprietor’s Blend
Ernie Els Signature
Jordan Cobblers Hill
Kaapzicht Steytler Vision
Kanonkop Paul Sauer
Rust en Vrede Estate
Sadie Columella
Saronsberg Full Circle
Warwick Trilogy
TOP 20 SA RED WINE CELLARS – 2014
Boekenhoutskloof
Cederberg Private Cellar
Chamonix
De Trafford Winery
Diemersfontein
Ernie Els Wines
Guardian Peak Wines
Hamilton Russell Vineyards
Jordan Wine Estate
Kaapzicht Wine Estate
Kanonkop Estate
Kleine Zalze
Rijk’s
Rust en Vrede Estate
Rustenberg Wines
Sadie Family Wines
Saronsberg
Simonsig
Spier
Thelema Mountain Vineyards
