Tag Archives: De Krans

Just R60pb! Koelenhof and Van Loveren win Value Challenge

ALTHOUGH 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.

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De Krans second to none when it comes to Cape Vintage (Port)

YOU CAN COUNT the number of today’s Top Cape Vintage Port producers on one hand… Okay, maybe two. It’s very specialist, very niche, but very good. One or two in Stellenbosch, one or two in Paarl and Wellington, plus a few in various other districts, however it’s Calitzdorp that has been the Port Capital of South Africa for several decades

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Flagstone Cape Blend named NWC Red Wine of the Year

A PINOTAGE-BASED red blend from the Flagstone winery in Somerset West, a Sauvignon Blanc from Paul Cluver in Elgin, a Cape Port from De Krans in Calitzdorp and the flagship Cap Classique sparkler from Graham Beck in Robertson. The four Wines of the Year at South Africa’s 2022 National Wine Challenge, and the producers were chuffed: “We are over the

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If you only buy one SA port this year, make it De Krans Vintage Res 2017

NO OTHER CAPE PORT has been more highly rated during the past 12 months. In 2020 it was judged Best in Class at the Trophy Wine Show, Best in Class at the National Wine Challenge and one of the Top 10 in the Winemag’s report on the category. This after several top accolades in 2019: 5 Stars in Platter’s SA Wine

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Who says there’s nothing to beat Rosé from the Med? SA Rosé Rocks!

THE FELLAS are just too nice, is all. The Rosé Rocks convenors – media man Eamon McLoughlin and Cape Wine Master Allan Mullins – are fans of the category, eager to raise the status of wines that, apart from the ‘pink’ bottle-fermented bubblies, often tend to be dismissed by snooty critics. Of the 147 entries in the 2020 competition, the

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Trizanne and Kleine Zalze among big winners at Trophy Wine Show 2020

97/100 was the top score awarded at the 2020 edition of the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show. The wine: Shiraz, from grapes harvested near Elim, Cape Agulhas, a 2018 Reserve from Kommetjie resident Trizanne Barnard who rents cellar space in Noordhoek. Other ‘super’ trophies went to Mulderbosch’s Sauvignon Blanc 2019 (top-scoring white wine) and Steen op Hout Chenin Blanc 2019

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Five Cape Blends honoured with Perold awards – one named after mentor

IT WAS WITH the announcement of the 2020 Absa Top 10 Pinotage Competition winners imminent that the Pinotage Association released the names of the Top 5s in their Perold Absa Cape Blend and Pinotage Rosé competitions. It was in the midst of KWV tweaking the positioning of their wine named in honour of the man who thought to cross Cinsaut

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Domaine des Dieux and Spier biggest winners at 2019 Veritas Awards

TOP SCORE OVERALL to a Chardonnay from a boutique producer off the beaten track. Only one double gold for Shiraz, one of the most keenly contested categories in which 149 wines were entered! The Veritas Awards are seldom without some surprises or discoveries. As one South Africa’s major wine and spirit competitions – attracting 1491 entries in 2019 – the

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“South Africa is producing world-class Rosé!” – Allan Mullins CWM

  THERE ARE some quaint names among South Africa’s 2019 Rosé Rocks competition winners: “The Quintessential Couple” (Bellingham), “Pyjama Bush” (Darling Cellars), “Frankly My Dear” (Esona) and “The Strawberry” (Mooiplaas), for example. Hopefully they’ll be back again next year, and then some; good, long track records are not something that pink, salmon and onion-skin-colour wines are renowned for in South

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2016 Cape Port from De Krans one of, if not THE best of the vintage

5 STARS in Platter’s Guide, Platinum at the Michelangelo Awards, one of the Top 10 in the Cape Port Challenge, Gold at the Veritas Awards, and still so young. From Calitzdorp, South Africa’s Port Capital in the Klein Karoo comes the 2016 vintage of De Krans Cape Vintage Reserve, a wine with Hall of Fame credentials for as long as we can

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Boplaas Tawny Non-Vintage takes the title at Cape Port Challenge

FOR THE report on the 2017 Challenge convened by the Cape Port Producers Association and the full results of the competition, see here. The panel of judges included Christine Rudman CWM (chair), Cathy van Zyl MW, Winnie Bowman CWM, Colin Frith (Hon CWM), Raymond Noppe CWM and sommelier Gregory Mutambe. TOP CAPE PORTS IN 2017 CHALLENGE Boplaas Cape Tawny NV –

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Calitzdorp retains the title of SA port champion but Boplaas and De Krans face growing number of serious challengers

WELL WOULD YOU look at that! While the trophy winner at this year’s CAPPA Port Challenge is again from Calitzdorp in the Klein Karoo, three of the six gold medal-winning producers are not from the ‘Port Capital’ of South Africa! Besides the Cape champion and runner-up overall from Boplaas, a wine from De Krans and another from Peter Bayly (all of Calitzdorp), two of

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Unbelievably good: Boplaas dominates SA Port Challenge

Calitzdorp might be the ‘Port Capital’ of South Africa, but it’s not the only place in the country where they know how to do it Portuguese style THE JUDGING PANEL was sound and the competition has a good track record, but the announcement of the Cape Port Producers’ Association’s 2013 Challenge results prompted as many questions as it provided answers.

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Experts’ choice: South Africa’s top port wines in 2012

THE STAND-OUT port-style wines from South Africa, the best reviews of the year… Klein Karoo producers Axe Hill, Boplaas, the Calitzdorp Cellar and De Krans remain dominant, with Bergsig of the Breedekloof and KWV of Paarl offering the main alternatives at this level of quality – a standard that irked the Portuguese so much that the European Union banned South African cellars from using

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