Category Archives: International Wine Challenge

SA Chardonnay goes down very well with IWC panel(s)

JUDGES 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

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South Africa’s most highly rated Cabernet Sauvignon in 2022

‘EXTRAORDINARY. Profound.’ That’s what the Winemag judges thought of Koelenhof Winery’s ‘Stellenbosch 1679’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 when reviewing it for the 2022 Prescient Report. The only wine among the 64 entries from 51 SA producers scored more than 95/100, it’s one of the 24 most highly rated Cape Cabs assessed by top panels locally and internationally during the past year

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Some international wine trophies count more than others – UK

WITH MANY if not all wine competition organisers who honour overall champions at their shows, local and international, the choice has mostly to do with how many awards each producer wins, rather than which are the favourite wines. Yes, usually trophies count more than gold medals, golds count more than silvers, etc, but no, it’s not necessarily a case of

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Whitehall Chardonnay has aficionados smiling internationally

THE 2020 VINTAGE of Neil Ellis’s Whitehall Chardonnay had only been on the market for a few months when it was included among the Top 4 in Winemag‘s 2021 South African Chardonnay Report. By the end of the year it had been Highly Recommended in Platter‘s SA Wine Guide, and after some more time in bottle it was considered 95+ on

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IWC judges prefer top SA Pinot Noir to top SA Cab, Shiraz…

THE PRICE of over R1000 a bottle puts Bouchard Finlayson’s flagship Pinot Noir from the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley into the realm of South Africa’s luxury wines, although for less than half that you can get the same vintage of their Galpin Peak. In fact it wasn’t that long ago that the “cameo selection” Tête de Cuvée also carried the name Galpin

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Neil Ellis Chardonnay leads South African charge at IWC

NOW IN ITS 38th year, the International Wine Challenge (IWC) is one of the world’s most rigorous wine competitions. Every medal winner is assessed ‘blind’ on at least three separate occasions by a minimum of two panels of judges tasting together, and then again by two of the show’s co-chairs, who in 2022 comprised Tim Atkin MW, Sam Caporn MW,

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Some old people and places worth treasuring, so too with old vines

Old Road Grand-mère Semillon 2017 • Gold Medal, Best in Class at Trophy Wine Show (SA) • Gold Medal at International Wine Challenge (UK) Old Road 12 Mile Syrah 2018 • Gold Medal at International Wine & Spirit Competition (UK) AND THESE ARE just the stars of the range in 2021, two from several tiers of wines offered by the

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IWC panels loved SA Chardonnay, Chenin, Pinot… Cab, Shiraz less so

FRANCE and Australia were the most successful nations at the 2021 International Wine Challenge in London, one of the biggest competitions of its kind – thousands of entries from over 50 countries, with numerous panels judging over a couple of weeks. South Africa secured 13 gold medals, compared to France’s 77 and Australia’s 49, and Elgin cellar Paul Cluver was

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Boschendal and Groot Constantia among world’s very best at IWC 2020

IN THE LAST of the world’s major wine competitions of the year, Boschendal (Franschhoek) and Groot Constantia (Cape Town) scooped two of the top trophies going – Boschendal Elgin Chardonnay 2018 named top South African White Wine and Groot Constantia Sauvignon Blanc 2019 judged best Sauvignon Blanc. Period. This was the first time in 10 years that the top Sauvignon

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Too low? Too high? If only we could all agree on wine rating definitions

THE CONTENTIOUS issue of wine ratings and awards continues to flare up from time to time, with outspoken wine lovers, wine scribes, critics and judges at odds with each other to the point of disbelief, even outrage. The problem? Firstly, there’s not enough consensus regarding which scoring system to use – star ratings aside, there are different versions of the

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Constantia Glen South Africa’s Champion of Champions at IWC 2019

THE ORGANISERS of the UK’s International Wine Challenge (IWC) have named their 2019 trophy winners, chosen from the gold medal-winning wines. The awards followed two weeks of judging, involving thousands of entries from 49 countries and over 400 wine experts serving on the various panels. Each medal-winning wine was blind-tasted on at least three separate occasions by at least 12

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Lunching al fresco with Kleine Zalze VS Sauvignon Blanc… Lovely!

  A FRESH fish dish or summer salad cries out for good Sauvignon Blanc as a lunchtime companion. At R210 a bottle, the Family Reserve of Kleine Zalze in Stellenbosch is one of the Top 10 in the South African Wine Classification, but at half the price the winery’s Vineyard Selection offers particularly good value, the 2017 vintage achieving good

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Another goal for Stellenbosch Shiraz, bragging rights to Kleine Zalze

IF THE QUALITY isn’t up to spec, Kleine Zalze won’t bottle their top-of-the-range Family Reserve. There wasn’t a 2011 Shiraz, nor a 2014, but after the current-release 2013 comes the 2015 Family Reserve Shiraz, which will go on sale already highly recommended by panels of experts at first the International Wine Challenge, then the International Wine & Spirit Competition (also

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Kaapzicht continues to flaunt the finesse of their Steytler Pinotage

IT’S NOT every year that they make a Steytler Pinotage at Kaapzicht: there was one in 2010, but not in 2011; one was made in 2012, but not in 2013, nor 2014; then came the 2015, but no 2016, and it will be a while before the 2017 vintage is released. This is a selection of the best they can

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SA vineyard manager Rosa Kruger honoured at IWC awards in London

THE 2018 International Wine Challenge Personality of the Year award winner Rosa Kruger is one of the world’s leading viticulturists, although she has no formal training and prefers the term ‘vineyard manager’. She started life as a political journalist, then became a lawyer before finally finding her life’s calling by chance when managing an apple orchard in a cool climate

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SA trophy winners at IWC 2018 include a number of all-time greats

NICE! Following the naming of South Africa’s 15 gold medallists at the 2018 International Wine Challenge (UK), the announcement of the country’s trophy winners pointed to some of the country’s all-time greats… You can’t talk about top Cape Pinot without including Bouchard Finlayson of the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley – cellarmaster Peter Finlayson headed up the first winery in the area. Kaapzicht of Bottelary

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Stellenrust waves the flag for SA Chenin at International Wine Challenge

THE COMPETITION is unusual insofar as the assessments are done and the medallists announced in two tranches six months apart, followed weeks later by news of various trophy winners, and a couple of months after that by an awards dinner at which the top trophies are presented. One of the biggest events of its kind as regards the thousands of

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Boschendal and Paul Cluver take top trophies at IWC 2017, London

TWENTY-THREE gold medals to South African wines with seven beauties going on to win trophies at the 2017 International Wine Challenge in London. Some are recent vintages of wines with great track records, such as Cape Point’s flagship white blend, DeMorgenzon Reserve Chenin, Bouchard Finlayson Pinot, Stellenrust Chenin and those champions from Paul Cluver and Saronsberg that feature regularly in the

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Tokara, Saronsberg and DeMorgenzon among SA standouts at IWC 2016

AT THE 2016 edition of the International Wine Challenge in London following weeks of blind tastings that involved thousands of entries from around the globe, South Africa’s top trophy winners included Tokara on the Simonsberg in Stellenbosch, Saronsberg of Tulbagh and Nederburg of Paarl for the entries judged Best SA White, Best SA Red and Best SA Sweet respectively, as well as DeMorgenzon

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Oldenburg and DeMorgenzon dazzle at International Wine Challenge, London

TEN YEARS ago Oldenburg Vineyards in Banghoek outside Stellenbosch en route to Franschhoek hadn’t yet bottled their first wine. Today they have a growing reputation for good Chenin, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, two of which have excelled at one of the world’s biggest wine shows, now in its 32nd year… Also stepping into the spotlight more than once at

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