IF YOU LIKE Sauvignon Blanc, no doubt you’ll love these beauties – the most glowing reviews of South African expressions by the top panels of wine judges locally and around the world in 2023 to date. Highlighted in red are those Sauvignons that qualify for the SA Wine Classification showcasing good track records over the past 10 years. De
Read moreTHE 2023 vintage of Riebeek Cellars Pinotage Rosé was judged the overall winner in the 2023 edition of Rosé Rocks, a competition focused on South Africa’s ‘pink’ wines – Rosé and Blanc de Noir, still and sparkling, sweet and dry. Unfortunately, the conveners don’t divulge the Top 3, Top 6, Top 10 or Top 12, and we aren’t given the
Read moreTHE PINOTAGE Association’s competition for ‘pink’ wines made from South Africa’s Pinot Noir Cinsault cross was introduced fairly recently, yet already many Pinotage producers are trying their hand at it, if not perfecting the craft. Wine lovers might well wonder when certain champions of the variety including Kanonkop of Stellenbosch and Rijk’s of Tulbagh will enter the fray, so to
Read moreWHEN THEY put it like that, it’s hard to swallow… that the “Top 10” Sauvignon Blanc wines of South Africa don’t include even one worthy of a top rating in their book (96+). “Inherently simple,” says Winemag editor Christian Eedes in the publication’s annual report on the category, sponsored by FSC Prescient. Not even the panel’s favourites among the most
Read moreAS THE 2023 Chenin Safari was winding down, with the final leg of the six-week challenge just around the bend, who would be strutting their stuff at the festival in Franschhoek come Saturday 10 June, one wondered. Some of South Africa’s top Chenin producers put their hands up, including a couple whose wines have such good track records as to
Read moreSOUTH AFRICA came away from the 2022 International Wine & Spirit Competition (UK) with more gold medals than any other country, including France. Of the thousands of wines entered, nearly 700 were from 169 producers in the Cape, with 88% of these awarded a medal: 28 gold, 234 silver and 355 bronze. Top-scoring for South Africa were Kanonkop Cabernet Sauvignon
Read more“THE BEST Shiraz is nothing if not peppery and many will have quite grippy tannins as a result of whole-bunch fermentation… Shiraz is for those who aren’t afraid of some flavour intensity.” So says Winemag editor Christian Eedes, who chaired the panel tasting of 99 South African wines from 82 producers submitted for the 2022 Prescient Shiraz Report. Also on
Read more“SOUTH AFRICAN Syrah can no longer be neatly pigeonholed,” says Winemag editor Christian Eedes in the 2021 Prescient Shiraz Report. “Expect everything from delicate, very fine, to ultra-glossy, rich wines – and the Shiraz/Syrah distinction is no longer really a clue to what’s inside the bottle.” There were 96 entries from 75 producers located in various areas of the Cape
Read moreACCORDING to the buying guide / cellar-door prices for the panel’s favourites in Winemag’s 2020 Prescient Cape Bordeaux Red Blend Report, Org de Rac of Piketberg in the Swartland could have fielded the best-value entry in the competition at R250 a bottle. On the other hand, the publishers chose to front the report with a scenic image of Warwick among
Read moreTHERE WERE 183 entries from 107 producers in the 2019 FNB Sauvignon Blanc Top 10 competition and/but very few surprises in terms of the results which included three repeat winners – the 2019 vintage of De Grendel Koetshuis, Diemersdal Wild Ferment and Tokara Reserve Collection winning this year after victory with earlier vintages last year. The panel of judges were:
Read moreAS IT BECOMES increasingly challenging to find good quality, interesting wines at under R100 a bottle, suggestions by the various panels of experts cannot but go down well with wine lovers looking for quaffers, stocking up for parties, hosting a braai, wanting something for anytime enjoyment. For an update of what’s been recommended on this front during the past year,
Read moreTOP MUSCADELS from the Cape remain oh such good fortified dessert wines, but oh so underrated – downplayed, you could argue, even by some of the producers themselves, let alone consumers with a sweet tooth who also seem to place a higher value on unfortified desserts including Noble Late Harvest, Natural Sweet and Straw Wine. The Muskadel SA association doesn’t have
Read moreTHERE’S a bit of ‘hush hush’ to this wine. It orginates from a single vineyard, within a few kilometers’ radius from the cellar outside Rawsonville, but nobody’s saying just where the block is to be found. It’s a little like gold, this red Muscat – with demand growing as word got around that the latest laureate is even better than the
Read moreODD that perennial sweet wine favourites Alvi’s Drift, Nuy and Orange River Cellars didn’t get a look in at the 2018 Muskadel SA Awards for fortified desserts, but maybe they didn’t field any of the 31 wines entered this time round. Then again, two of the Top 10 cellars in this category came storming through – Bon Courage winning with both
Read moreSOUTH AFRICAN Sauvignon Blanc that has been highly recommended this year by one or more of the expert tasting panels around the world AND which costs no more than R50 a bottle – with prices given ex-cellar, or approximate retail if the public can’t buy directly from the producer: ARABELLA 2012 – R38 BERGSIG 2012 – R45 BOLAND CELLAR’S Flutterby 2012 – R25
Read moreSOUTH AFRICAN Merlot that has been highly recommended this year by one or more of the expert tasting panels around the world AND which costs less than R100 a bottle – with prices given ex-cellar, or approximate retail if the cellar is closed to the public: ANURA Reserve 2009 – R95 BILTON 2008 – R89 BOLAND CELLAR Reserve No 1 2009 – R77 CLOS MALVERNE 2010 –
Read moreTHE BEST VALUE wines of South Africa are particularly topical at around this time of year on publication of the annual Best Value Wine Guide sponsored by the Ultra retail group. Orange River Cellars in Upington won the award as Best Value Winery overall in the latest competition that will culminate with the release of the book, available now in an
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