Top SA white wines and top SA white wine cellars over the past 10 years – best track records from 2004 to 2013
SOUTH AFRICA’S 2014 Wine & Cellar Classifications based on 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 Classifications. 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 10 rankings as regards the latest white 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 CHARDONNAY – 2014
Chamonix Reserve
Fleur du Cap Unfiltered (Bergkelder)
Hamilton Russell
Jordan Barrel Fermented
Jordan Nine Yards
Mulderbosch Barrel Fermented
Paul Cluver
Rustenberg Five Soldiers
Tokara Reserve Collection Stellenbosch
Uva Mira Single Vineyard
TOP 10 SA CHENIN BLANC – 2014
Beaumont Hope Marguerite
Bellingham The Bernard Series Old Vine (DGB)
DeMorgenzon
Jean Daneel
Kanu KCB
Kleine Zalze Cellar Selection
Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection
Rudera Robusto
Stellenrust Barrel Fermented
The FMC Forrester Meinert (Ken Forrester)
TOP 10 SA SAUVIGNON BLANC – 2014
Cape Point
Cape Point Woolworths
Cederberg
Diemersdal Eight Rows
Fleur du Cap Unfiltered (Bergkelder)
Fleur du Cap Unfiltered Limited Release (Bergkelder)
Graham Beck Pheasants’ Run
Kleine Zalze Family Reserve
Nederburg Private Bin D234
Steenberg Reserve
TOP SA SEMILLON – 2014
Cape Point
Constantia Uitsig
David Nieuwoudt Ghost Corner (Cederberg)
Eikendal
Fairview Oom Pagel
Fleur du Cap Unfiltered
KWV The Mentors
Landau du Val
Nitida
Rijk’s
Steenberg
Stellenzicht Reserve
Stony Brook
Zonnebloem Limited Edition (Distell)
TOP SA VIOGNER – 2014
Alvi’s Drift ADS
Bellingham The Bernard Series Hand Picked
Eagles’ Nest
Fairview
Flagstone Word of Mouth
Fleur du Cap Unfiltered (Bergkelder)
Lourensford Winemaker’s Selection
Saronsberg
The Top 10 rankings as regards the latest white 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 CHARDONNAY – 2014
Chamonix Reserve
Fleur du Cap Unfiltered (Bergkelder)
Hamilton Russell
Jordan Barrel Fermented
Jordan Nine Yards
Mulderbosch Barrel Fermented
Paul Cluver
Rustenberg Five Soldiers
Tokara Reserve Collection Stellenbosch
Uva Mira Single Vineyard
TOP 10 SA CHENIN BLANC – 2014
Beaumont Hope Marguerite
Bellingham The Bernard Series Old Vine (DGB)
DeMorgenzon
Jean Daneel
Kanu KCB
Kleine Zalze Cellar Selection
Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection
Rudera Robusto
Stellenrust Barrel Fermented
The FMC Forrester Meinert (Ken Forrester)
TOP 10 SA SAUVIGNON BLANC – 2014
Cape Point
Cape Point Woolworths
Cederberg
Diemersdal Eight Rows
Fleur du Cap Unfiltered (Bergkelder)
Fleur du Cap Unfiltered Limited Release (Bergkelder)
Graham Beck Pheasants’ Run
Kleine Zalze Family Reserve
Nederburg Private Bin D234
Steenberg Reserve
TOP SA SEMILLON – 2014
Cape Point
Constantia Uitsig
David Nieuwoudt Ghost Corner (Cederberg)
Eikendal
Fairview Oom Pagel
Fleur du Cap Unfiltered
KWV The Mentors
Landau du Val
Nitida
Rijk’s
Steenberg
Stellenzicht Reserve
Stony Brook
Zonnebloem Limited Edition (Distell)
TOP SA VIOGNER – 2014
Alvi’s Drift ADS
Bellingham The Bernard Series Hand Picked
Eagles’ Nest
Fairview
Flagstone Word of Mouth
Fleur du Cap Unfiltered (Bergkelder)
Lourensford Winemaker’s Selection
Saronsberg
TOP SA NICHE WHITE VARIETIES – 2014
Bon Courage Andres Fame Colombard
Nuy Colombar
Van Loveren Neil’s Pick Colombar
Neethlingshof Gewurztraminer
The Foundry Grenache Blanc
Hartenberg Riesling
Jordan The Real McCoy Riesling
Nederburg Winemaster’s Reserve Riesling
Paul Cluver Dry Encounter Riesling
TOP 10 SA WHITE BLENDS – 2014
Cape Point Isliedh
Fleur du Cap Unfiltered White Blend Limited Release
Miles Mossop Saskia
Nederburg Ingenuity White
Nitida Coronata Integration
Rall White
Sadie Palladius
Steenberg Magna Carta
Tokara Director’s Reserve White
Vergelegen GVB White
TOP 20 SA WHITE WINE CELLARS – 2014
Bergkelder (Fleur du Cap)
Cape Point Vineyards
Cederberg Private Cellar
Chamonix
DGB (Bellingham)
Diemersdal Wine Estate
Graham Beck Wines
Hamilton Russell Vineyards
Jordan Wine Estate
Kanu Wines
Ken Forrester Vineyards
Kleine Zalze
Mulderbosch Vineyards
Nederburg Wines
Paul Cluver Wines
Rustenberg Wines
Sadie Family Wines
Steenberg Vineyards
Tokara
Vergelegen Wines
Bon Courage Andres Fame Colombard
Nuy Colombar
Van Loveren Neil’s Pick Colombar
Neethlingshof Gewurztraminer
The Foundry Grenache Blanc
Hartenberg Riesling
Jordan The Real McCoy Riesling
Nederburg Winemaster’s Reserve Riesling
Paul Cluver Dry Encounter Riesling
TOP 10 SA WHITE BLENDS – 2014
Cape Point Isliedh
Fleur du Cap Unfiltered White Blend Limited Release
Miles Mossop Saskia
Nederburg Ingenuity White
Nitida Coronata Integration
Rall White
Sadie Palladius
Steenberg Magna Carta
Tokara Director’s Reserve White
Vergelegen GVB White
TOP 20 SA WHITE WINE CELLARS – 2014
Bergkelder (Fleur du Cap)
Cape Point Vineyards
Cederberg Private Cellar
Chamonix
DGB (Bellingham)
Diemersdal Wine Estate
Graham Beck Wines
Hamilton Russell Vineyards
Jordan Wine Estate
Kanu Wines
Ken Forrester Vineyards
Kleine Zalze
Mulderbosch Vineyards
Nederburg Wines
Paul Cluver Wines
Rustenberg Wines
Sadie Family Wines
Steenberg Vineyards
Tokara
Vergelegen Wines
