Tag Archives: Classification

Almenkerk Syrah proves again that good Elgin reds not just about Pinot

  ALTHOUGH they make some of the good Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc for which Elgin is famous, Almenkerk Estate in the middle of the valley is more renowned among some wine lovers for their reds – and we’re not talking Pinot Noir, for which the area is also well known. The Belgian/Dutch Van Almenkerk family is one of just two

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Among the best Shiraz – though Hartenberg say they’ve gone one better

  HARTENBERG Estate’s charming underground cellar is not only the home of maturing Shiraz and then some, but also a gallery of 12 artworks by German coppersmith Karl Heinz Wilhelm depicting the various phases of cultivating and producing wine. On the surface, the Mackenzie family’s vineyards are planted to a number of different varieties, however this farm in the Bottelary

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No surprise as R&V stars in Cabernet report with not one wine but two!

  THE ENGELBRECHT family and their team have maintained Rust en Vrede’s reputation as one of South Africa’s top red wine cellars for the past 40 years or so, ever since the Stellenbosch estate began specialising in Cabernet and Shiraz, either in collaboration or on their own. All of these reds are Classified, with the Estate blend as well as

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Some amazing deals at Pick n Pay… No vintages advertised but…

A SAVING of over R150 a bottle on one of South Africa’s Top 10 Chenins! R200pb less for the most highly rated Shiraz and top wine overall at the Michelangelo Awards!! R55 a bottle for one of the country’s Top 10 white blends!!! Almost 50% less than at the farm for a Cabernet in the Top Wine SA Hall of

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Top 50 Wines from Top Stellenbosch Cellars – 2019 Classification

OF THE TOP wines from Stellenbosch cellars over the past 10 years, Chardonnays outnumber Chenins by almost 2:1 with Cabernet and Cab blends accounting for 80% of the Top 50 reds. The following are the very best track records from the wineries of Banghoek, Bottelary, Devon Valley, Helderberg, Helshoogte, Jonkershoek, Koelenhof, Kuils River, Polkadraai Hills, Simonsberg, Stellenbosch Kloof and elsewhere

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Top 20 wines of Elgin over the past 10 years – 2019 Classification

THERE ARE numerous wines made from grapes grown in Elgin and trucked to cellars in other parts of the Cape winelands. The following are 100% Elgin, those with the very best track records from the top cellars in the area according to the SA Wine & Cellar Classification. • For the full Elgin Wine Classification, click here. • For wine-tasting

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Top 20 Walker Bay Wines, Top 10 Walker Bay Cellars – 2019 Classification

HARDLY surprising! The Top 20 wines of Walker Bay come from the Top 10 producers in a district renowned for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay – those with the very best track records in Bot River, the Hemel-en-Aarde and elsewhere in the area over the past 10 years according to the 2019 South African Wine & Cellar Classification. • For the

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Top 20 Wines from Franschhoek Cellars – 2019 Classification

WORTH taking along next time you go wine-tasting or shopping on the Franschhoek wine route, the following are those whites, reds and bubblies with the very best track records from the cellars of the area according to the SA Wine & Cellar Classification. • For the full Franschhoek Wine Classification, click here. • For wine-tasting options, locations and contact info,

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Top 20 Wines from the Cellars of Paarl – 2019 Classification

A CHECKLIST that will come in useful when next you head out wine-tasting or shopping on the Paarl wine route, the following are those whites, reds, bubblies and sweets with the very best track records from the cellars of the area according to the 2019 SA Wine & Cellar Classification. • For the full Paarl Wine Classification, click here. •

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Morgenster trophy laureate promises even more if we can bear to wait

THE LATE Giulio Bertrand established a tradition at his Morgenster wine and olive farm in Somerset West of releasing Bordeaux-style reds only when they have had the benefits of ageing, although he and his winemakers weren’t averse to strutting the qualities of their beauties in their youth, too. So it is again with the 2014 Estate Reserve, a small quantity of

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Kanonkop and Rijk’s not the only Pinotage benchmarks, although …

THE ANNOUNCEMENT of the Absa Top 10 for 2018 served to reiterate a number of truths and trends: ‘old’ vines make for good wines; the more experience you have with the variety and the vineyards, the higher the likelihood of greatness in the bottle; while the benchmarks remain steadfast, those contesting the premier league have grown in number and location;

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Hardly surprising that The Manor House Cabernet Sauvignon is so good

NEDERBURG has no fewer than THREE Cabernet Sauvignon listings in the 2018 South African Wine Classification, and it’s the only cellar in the country with two wines among the country’s Top 10 Cabs as regards best track records – two of only three that originate outside Stellenbosch! When the 2015 vintage of The Manor House was judged No. 1 in Winemag’s

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For wine lovers targeting reigning champions on Robertson wine routes

WHETHER you’re a festival-goer, wine-router or heading to a wine shop in search of the best on offer from South Africa’s Robertson Wine Valley, this will prove useful: a checklist of every red, white, sparkling and dessert wine vintage from the district that’s got the experts on the top panels smiling big time in 2017 and 2018 to date. Ashton, Bonnievale,

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It is the reign of Shannon Mount Bullet, Elgin – South Africa’s top Merlot

OVER THE TOP? Perhaps. But while there are very few occasions when you can feel relaxed talking about a No. 1 rather than a Top 10, say, surely this is one of them. The 2015 vintage of Mount Bullet from Shannon Vineyards was judged Best Merlot in South Africa’s 2018 National Wine Challenge and awarded top score in Winemag’s annual Merlot

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For Cabernet lovers targeting the top producers on SA wine routes

BELOW are the top Cabernet Sauvignon producers in South Africa over the past 10 years, those with the best track records spanning 2008 to 2017, presented according to where you’ll find their tasting rooms on the various wine routes. For the 2018 SA Cabernet Sauvignon Classification, see here, and for the contact info and addresses of those outfits that can be visited

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2018 off to a good start at Ormonde: top winemaker, top Sauvignon

DROUGHTS aside, to state the obvious… Darling can be a pretty good place to grow vines and harvest grapes for making lovely wines – especially Sauvignon Blanc. So good, in fact, that it’s remarkable how many producers based outside the district use fruit from the area – even though few spell this out on their labels. Successful wines from non-Darling wineries

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For Sauvignon Blanc lovers targeting top producers on SA wine routes

BELOW are the top Sauvignon Blanc producers in South Africa over the past 10 years, those with the best track records spanning 2008 to 2017, presented according to where you’ll find their tasting rooms on the various wine routes. For the 2018 SA Sauvignon Blanc Classification, see here, and for the contact info and addresses of those outfits that can be

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For Chardonnay lovers targeting the top producers on SA wine routes

BELOW are the top Chardonnay producers in South Africa over the past 10 years, those with the best track records spanning 2008 to 2017, presented according to where you’ll find their tasting rooms on the various wine routes. For the 2018 SA Chardonnay Classification, see here, and for the contact info and addresses of those outfits that can be visited and/or

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Franschhoek’s Finest: leading wines from valley’s top cellars in 2017

IF YOU’RE contemplating which Franschhoek wineries to buy from, the following have the best track records in the valley over the past 10 years – full SA Wine & Cellar Classifications here.   ALLÉE BLEUE Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Chenin Blanc L’Amour Toujours (Red Blend) Pinotage BELLINGHAM The Bernard Series Basket Press Syrah The Bernard Series Bush Vine Pinotage The Bernard Series

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Which SA wines boast best track records? Depends on who you ask!

FROM TIME to time Top Wine SA has fielded queries regarding how the South African Wine & Cellar Classifications compare with the South African Wine Index, which also has to do with good track records. For those who remain curious about the SAWi Wine Excellence Awards or how Top Wine SA’s selection of the country’s Top 100 and the Hall of Fame differ from

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