Category Archives: Drinks Business Masters

Nederburg’s first non-auction R163 gets big nod from Masters

THE 2018 Private Bin R163 from Distell’s Nederburg of Paarl, South Africa, was among the Top 6 in The Drinks Business Global Cabernet Sauvignon Masters 2022 held in the UK – the other five ‘Master’ award winners coming from Napa Valley (2) and Washington in the USA, and from Eden Valley and Barossa Valley in Australia. The 2018 vintage of

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Praise for SA Sauvignon at Global Masters. Pity about botched report

WHILE WE WERE hanging in there, trying to establish the names of the judges at the latest Global Sauvignon Blanc Masters staged by The Drinks Business in the UK, the Sunday Times newspaper in South Africa published an article by columnist Hilary Biller about the panel-tasting results that had one wondering… Why did ST / Biller only mention the name

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Two Centuries Cab looking a little different, tasting as good as ever

  THE WORDS ‘Private Bin’ on a bottle of Nederburg no longer mean that the wine was sold exclusively on auction. However, they do still indicate that the winemakers have made a special effort, gone the extra mile – and they now also appear on the Two Centuries Cabernet Sauvignon, beginning with the 2017 vintage. That said, the range of

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Chardonnays from Ceres and Stellenbosch hit the spot at Global Masters

AT THE LATEST Global Masters convened by The Drinks Business publication in the UK: “Once more, South Africa proved itself a great place for first-rate Chardonnay at an accessible price, particularly the wines from De Grendel, who have crafted a lovely and affordable Chardonnay from the Ceres Plateau in the Witzenburg Mountains.” The wine: De Grendel Op Die Berg 2019,

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Where nature meets art meets wine: Saronsberg, Shiraz, Sensational

THE WINELANDS of Tulbagh are best known for Cap Classique, Pinotage and Shiraz. Or vice versa, you could say. And when it comes to Shiraz from this district in the Upper Breede River Valley, Saronsberg is second to none. From one of the Top 20 cellars in the country, both the Rhône-style blend Full Circle and the single-varietal Shiraz are among

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Salmon rosé second to none among South Africa’s ‘pink’ wines in 2018

Gold medal at the Global Rosé Masters, Listed in the Sommeliers Selection, double gold medal at Rosé Rocks… No other South African rosé has been as well received in 2018 as the 2017 vintage from Franschhoek winery Holden Manz. The wine is ever-so-slightly wooded, and made in a style that the producers refer to as Provençal – in part, no doubt,

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Eight golds for South Africa at Du Monde, World Champs, Masters

IT WAS a good start to the month of July 2018 for South African wine producers at Muscats du Monde in France, the Sparkling Wine World Championships and the Drinks Business Global Masters, London – including a Top 10 spot among the sweets for Orange River Cellars and confirmation of Nederburg’s stature when it comes to Cabernet Sauvignon. For more about

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Saronsberg and Noble Hill champion SA at 2017 Syrah Masters, London

“OF ALL THE major red grapes, Syrah must be the hardest to classify. Not only does it have two names – Syrah and Shiraz – but each reflects a different personality. This is a variety that can produce restrained and delicate wines, or, depending on climate and treatment, something rich and powerful” – Patrick Schmitt, The Drinks Business, UK. “As for

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Bouchard Finlayson Pinot to the fore again – again with Tête de Cuvée

GOLD at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in 2016 and now gold at the 2017 Global Pinot Noir Masters judged primarily by Masters of Wine and Master Sommeliers for The Drinks Business publication, also in the UK. Bouchard Finlayson’s 2013 Tête de Cuvée is proving to be as popular with the cognoscenti as the 2012 was a couple of

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Capensis considered among world’s best at Chardonnay Masters 2016

NOW THAT’S what we’re talking about! THAT’S how to show it’s worth the asking price!! Winning one of only six Master awards (scored over 95/100) presented after the British Drinks Business magazine’s 2016 Global Chardonnay Masters competition involving some 200 entries from around the world, the 2014 vintage of Capensis also scored highly in the local Winemag.co.za Chardonnay report earlier in the year.

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Galpin Peak does it again for SA Pinot Noir on the international stage

AT THE 2015 Global Pinot Noir Masters staged by The Drinks Business in the UK, Bouchard Finlayson’s Tête de Cuvée Galpin Peak 2012 from the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley outside Hermanus and David Nieuwoudt Ghost Corner 2013 from the Cederberg Private Cellar won gold medals, with silvers going to the 2013 Galpin Peak, Finlayson’s neighbour Hamilton Russell for their 2013 vintage, Domaine

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The Single Tree Chardonnay given its due at Drinks Business Masters

THE BRITISH Masters of Wine on the tasting panels of leading UK trade publication The Drinks Business included a number of South African wines among the laureates applauded in the 2015/16 Global Chardonnay Masters, Global Sauvignon Blanc Masters and Global Cabernet Sauvignon Masters competition results announced recently. Chief among them was the 2014 vintage of The Single Tree Chardonnay from Uva Mira Mountain Vineyards

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