THEY MAKE at least half a dozen Chenins at the Stellenrust winery in the Helderberg and another at their boutique ArtiSons cellar in Bottelary. Even the ‘standard’ version (currently R89pb) has won at the Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Challenge before and is one of three Stellenrust wines with such good reviews over the years as to be included among the
Read moreSHINING in a line-up of 157 sparklers on the tasting bench at the 2023 Amorim Cap Classique Challenge, the 2017 vintage of KWV’s Laborie Blanc de Blancs was judged the best dry bottle-fermented wine made exclusively from Chardonnay and the best wine overall. This on top of the Paarl bubbly having been chosen as Best Cap Classique at the Trophy
Read moreTHE RESULTS of the 2023 Shiraz SA Challenge provided plenty of talking points. For example: Flagstone of the Strand/Somerset West grabbed two awards, one for a ‘Dark Horse’ with one of the best track records in the category and the other for a ‘Velvet’ blend that costs what you might think with a name like that. The achievement by De
Read moreJUDGES at the 2023 International Wine Challenge in London were impressed by South African entries in a variety of classes, but the Chardonnay especially. Six of the 15 gold medals that went the way of Cape wine producers were for Chardonnay, with the 2021 vintage of Paul Cluver’s Seven Flags given 97 on the scorecard… Days after the names of
Read moreTHERE WERE only 20 cases of the single-block, single-barrel Cab Franc Challenge winner made available for purchase after results of the 2023 edition of the competition were announced in Stellenbosch. As for the rest of the Anthology, 2020 vintage, “we’ll be drinking to celebrate,” said the producers. “Lucky us.” Convenor Bjorn van Oort let on that “just 0.33 points” separated
Read moreWHOA! Better than R60 a bottle for this award winner from Van Loveren in the Robertson winelands, R49pb is all that’s being asked for the 2021 Tangled Tree Butterscotch Chardonnay from the Ultra Value Wine Challenge organisers, BuyBetterWine.com. And Woah! The White Wine of the Year at the 2022 competition (for wines selling at under R130 per 750ml) is also
Read moreALTHOUGH the 2022 Ultra Value Wine Challenge was open to entries selling for up to R130 a bottle, the Wine of the Year awards for the highest-scoring red and white in the competition were presented for submissions way below the price ceiling. Best-value red: a blend (mainly Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz) from the Koelenhof Winery in Stellenbosch, the Koelenberg 2021.
Read moreDOMAINE des Dieux’s win at the 2022 Amorim Cork Cap Classique Challenge was their third, having also been applauded as Best Producer in the 2018 and 2014 editions of the competition organised by South Africa’s Cap Classique Producers Association (CCPA). This time round, the 2016 vintage of Des Dieux Claudia Brut was named best wine overall, following the trophy-winning 2012
Read moreA NUMBER of things come to mind on perusal of the 2022 Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge results. One is how many of the top wines originate in old vineyards, four of which include vines over 50 years old. Another is the depth of quality shown by the leading producers, some of them shining with Chenins other than
Read moreSURE THERE ARE other delightful reds and whites in their range, but it’s Shiraz that they specialise in at Saronsberg. Surely the leading wine outfit in the district of Tulbagh, their Shiraz and Shiraz-based blend ‘Full Circle’ easily clear the bar for inclusion among their respective Top 10s in the South African Wine Classification – shoo-ins for the Top Wine SA
Read moreVIOGNIER. There’s a certain sexiness associated with this aromatic white grape, used to make some of the famous white wines of Condrieu in the northern Rhône, southern France, and planted elsewhere including Italy, Australia, New Zealand, California as well as South Africa. The variety is somewhat controversial, too. The origin is uncertain, with Croatia getting the credit according to some.
Read moreSOME AWARDS carry more weight than others, and there’s something to be said for a wine that ticks the boxes for a number of top tasting panels. Over 1500 South African wines were highly rated around the world in 2021, and the following are the red wines among them that received the most glowing reviews of the year – Cabernet
Read moreSOME AWARDS carry more weight than others, and there’s something to be said for a wine that ticks the boxes for a number of top tasting panels. Over 1500 South African wines were highly rated around the world in 2021, and the following are the white wines among them that received the most glowing reviews of the year – Chardonnay,
Read moreTHE LE RICHE cellar has always been there or thereabouts when considering South Africa’s leading producers of Cabernet Sauvignon over the past decade or so! However, the last three years have been particularly successful for the family, with rave reviews from critics locally and internationally, culminating in victory at the Global Fine Wine Challenge in Sydney where the 2018 vintage
Read moreA COMPETITION of which the results are talked up in stages, the Global Fine Wine Challenge in Sydney picks up where the Six Nations Wine Challenge left off in 2019, prior to the Covid pandemic sweeping the world, with the 2021 edition contested by wines from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the USA. At the time of writing,
Read moreHOW ABOUT THAT! Less than a month after the 2020 Bernard Series Old Vine Chenin in DGB’s Bellingham portfolio was included among South Africa’s Top 10 Challenge winners, it went on to score 95/100 at the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) in London. The 2020 Donkiesbaai Steen from the Guardian Peak cellar is also a multiple award winner, having received good
Read moreWINNER of the 2021 Amorim Cork Cap Classique Challenge: Kleine Zalze Vintage Brut 2015. South African sparkling wine made according to the traditional method made famous in Champagne, France. Stellenbosch cellar of Kobus Basson. Stellenbosch grapes: 60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir. Bottle-fermented, matured for five years prior to disgorgement. R238pb ex-cellar. This follows glowing reviews for the 2013 vintage, best
Read moreCONSISTENCY is a wonderful thing, as is the emergence of new stars and the resurgence of others. It would be surprising should Stellenrust and DeMorgenzon not feature among the Top 10 in the annual Challenge staged by the Chenin Blanc Association of South Africa, sponsored by Standard Bank. Ditto two other Stellenbosch cellars, Kleine Zalze and Ken Forrester –
Read moreNO OTHER SHIRAZ from South Africa has been as successful on the world stage in 2021 as the 2018 vintage from the team at the Cederberg cellar of David Nieuwoudt: Highly Recommended in Platter’s SA Wine Guide; one of the Top 10 gold medallists at Syrah du Monde in France; one of 12 champions in the Shiraz SA Challenge;
Read moreTHE ONLINE award presentation was a rather dumbed-down affair, not without technical hiccups, but the panel of judges for the 2021 Challenge convened by the industry association Shiraz SA was strong on experience. Among the selectors were Cape Wine Masters Andy Roediger (chair for the ninth year) and Paul Benadé, cellarmasters Frans Smit (Spier) and Richard Kershaw MW, as well
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