Top SA sparkling wines and top SA bubbly cellars over the past 10 years – best track records from 2004 to 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 sparkling 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 SPARKLING CAP CLASSIQUE – 2014
Bon Courage Jacques Bruére Blanc de Blancs
Bon Courage Jacques Bruére Brut Reserve
Boschendal Grande Cuvée Brut
Desiderius Pongrácz
Graham Beck Brut Blanc de Blancs
Laborie Blanc de Blanc
Simonsig Cuvée Royale Blanc de Blancs
Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel Brut
Villiera Monro Brut
Villiera Woolworths Vintage Reserve Brut
