IF THERE WAS a trophy presented at the Veritas Awards for best value-for-money offered by the highest-scoring wines, the winner in 2016 would probably have been Boschendal for The Pavillion Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, expected to sell for R55 a bottle from the cellar on the outskirts of Franschhoek and under R50 in the supermarkets. Its main rivals for the title would have included Goedverwacht Great Expectations Sauvignon Blanc 2016 – this unwooded double gold medal winner from outside Bonnievale in the Breede River Valley weighing in at R50 a bottle from the estate.

There were 1760 entries in the competition, with 32 wines earning double gold, plenty getting gold and hundreds given silver and bronze. The tasting panels involved five connoisseurs from outside South Africa and over 100 local judges. And most of the top laureates at the 2016 Veritas gala dinner in Cape Town were wines or cellars with established reputations, good track records (see below). Stand-outs include Spier, Flagstone and Rustenberg for each achieving double gold for both a red and a white, with the Distell stable of wines from Nederburg, The Bergkelder and various other cellars collectively the biggest winners on the night.

DOUBLE GOLD MEDALLISTS AT 2016 VERITAS AWARDS

WHITE WINES

Anura Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2015 – Paarl Cellar
David Nieuwoudt Ghost Corner Sauvignon Blanc 2016 – Cederberg Cellar
De Wetshof Limestone Hill Chardonnay 2016 – Robertson Cellar
Flagstone Treaty Tree Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Reserve 2015 – Somerset West Cellar
Fleur du Cap Unfiltered Sauvignon Blanc 2015 (Bergkelder) – Stellenbosch Cellar
Goedverwacht Great Expectations Sauvignon Blanc 2016 – Bonnievale Cellar
Jordan Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2015 – Stellenbosch Kloof Cellar
Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Sauvignon Blanc Sur Lie 2016 – Stellenbosch Cellar
Rustenberg Five Soldiers Chardonnay 2014 – Simonsberg-Stellenbosch Cellar
Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2014 – Stellenbosch Cellar
Tokara Reserve Collection Elgin Sauvignon Blanc 2016 – Simonsberg-Stellenbosch Cellar

RED WINES

Boschendal The Pavillion Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 – Franschhoek Cellar
Buitenverwachting Merlot 2012 – Constantia Cellar
De Grendel Shiraz 2015 – Durbanville Cellar
Ernie Els Big Easy Red 2015 – Helderberg Cellar, Stellenbosch
Flagstone Music Room Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 – Somerset West Cellar
KWV The Mentors Orchestra 2013 (Red Blend) – Paarl Cellar
La Cave Pinotage 2015 – Wellington Cellar
Lomond SMV 2015 (Red Blend) – Stellenbosch Cellar, Cape Agulhas Farm
Neethlingshof Lord Neethling Pinotage 1999 – Stellenbosch Cellar
Neil Ellis Cabernet Sauvignon Jonkershoek 2013 – Stellenbosch Cellar
Peter Falke Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 – Helderberg Cellar, Stellenbosch
Rooiberg Pinotage Reserve 2015 – Robertson Cellar
Rustenberg Buzzard Kloof Syrah 2013 – Simonsbeg-Stellenbosch Cellar
Spier 21 Gables Pinotage 2014 – Stellenbosch Cellar
Vondeling Erica Shiraz 2013 – Voor Paardeberg Cellar, Paarl

SPARKLING WINES

Christina van Loveren Brut NV  (MCC) – Robertson Cellar
Villiera Monro Brut 2009 (MCC) – Koelenhof Cellar, Stellenbosch

DESSERT & PORT WINES

Boplaas Cape Tawny Bin 1880 NV (Port) – Calitzdorp Cellar
KWV White Muscadel Jerepigo 1933 (Fortified) – Paarl Cellar
Nederburg Private Bin Eminence Noble Late Harvest Muscadel 2012 – Paarl Cellar
Nuy Red Muscadel 2010 (Fortified) – Worcester Cellar

• For more information about the competition and the full results, see here. For the cellar-door prices, see here. For dates, venues and tickets for the tastings of the double gold and gold laureates, click on the links in the Top Wine SA diary of events for October and November or look for the calendar on the Veritas site.