Tag Archives: red

Most highly rated red blends from South Africa in 2023

THESE ARE the red blends from South Africa’s winelands that most impressed the top panels internationally in 2023 to date, with by far the majority of them – those highlighted in red – included in the SA Wine Classification showcasing good track records over the past 10 years. Many of these producers have been pulling it off virtually vintage after

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Most highly rated Pinotage in 2023 – top panels have voted

‘BORN’ in South Africa and, at its best, one of the country’s delightful ambassadors. These are the expressions of Pinotage that really wowed the top panels around the world in 2023 to date, and highlighted in red are those that qualify for the SA Wine Classification showcasing good track records over the past 10 years.   Alvi’s Drift Verreaux Pinotage

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South Africa’s most highly rated red wines in 2023 to date

FROM JANUARY to August 2023, the top panels of wine experts judged some 700 of South Africa’s finest to be at least high silver or gold medal standard. Of these, around 140 were considered 96 points or higher, Best in Class, Top 10 or 12, worthy of grand gold, platinum or master awards, trophy laureates, competition winners or Wines of

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Highlights of Bordeaux-Theme Fine Wine Auction, Johannesburg

KANONKOP, De Toren, Vilafonté, Meerlust, Raats, Alto… These were the most-wanted wines in terms of South African producers at Strauss & Co’s Bordeaux-themed auction conducted in Johannesburg mid-2022.  Kanonkop Paul Sauer 2015 fetched nearly R4000 a bottle. SA ‘first growth’; good vintage. However, the really big-ticket items were from France, Italy and the USA: Pétrus, Screaming Eagle, Harlan, Haut Brion,

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Top 10 Classification = superb wine time and again, year after year

THE TOP WINE SA Hall of Fame is one thing, but so exclusive, very limited… Also prestigious is a Top 10 ranking in the South African Wine Classification – each of them found particularly appealing vintage after vintage, each of them recommended by panels of experts without fear or favour over the past decade, none of them ‘resting on their

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Second-last vintage of Cordoba Crescendo sold for just over R2K a bottle

OF THE SOUTH African wines auctioned by Strauss & Co on 25 July 2021, Cordoba Crescendo 2003 attracted most interest from the online bidders. Although, selling for R2150 a bottle (R12 898 for 6×750ml bottles), it fetched less than what many might have expected of such a ‘cult’ label, a Cab Franc-driven blend from the Helderberg in Stellenbosch – this vintage

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No Rubicon from 2019! Instead a lighter ‘Meerlust Red’ at half the price

WHO ELSE among the top estates in South Africa would sometimes choose not to make their flagship wine, to skip a vintage in years when the quality or style isn’t quite as expected by the producer? At some wineries, when Mother Nature plays up or things go awry in the vineyard or cellar, they might try to explain it away

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Second labels, second- and third-tier wines, bargains from South Africa’s top cellars for a lot less than the champs

SOMETIMES it’s simply about achieving as good as it gets on a smaller budget. Sometimes it’s a way of handling the left-overs or dealing with what’s declassified after bottling the really good stuff. But, it should go without saying that the second- or third-tier wines from the country’s premier producers are usually worth experimenting with if not already well renowned

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Tulbagh’s crown prince? Saronsberg marks 10 years of winemaking with entry into Top Wine SA Hall of Fame

THE TULBAGH WINES with the best track records over the past 10 years stand out as follows – all regular recipients of good reviews by top judges internationally: TOP REDS PINOTAGE – Rijk’s, Manley, Klein Tulbagh SHIRAZ – Saronsberg, Rijk’s, Saronsberg Provenance RED BLENDS – Saronsberg Full Circle, Saronsberg Seismic, Saronsberg Provenance Rooi TOP WHITES CHENIN BLANC – Rijk’s VIOGNIER – Saronsberg WHITE BLEND – Fable

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Top SA red wines and top SA red wine cellars over the past 10 years – best track records between 2004 and 2013

SOUTH AFRICA’S 2014 Wine & Cellar Classifications on the basis of the best track records in 25 local and international blind-tasting forums over the past 10 years have just been released. To be eligible for Classification, a wine must have been made and bottled in South Africa and must have earned very good reviews by at least one of the

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South Africa’s top Pinotage ratings in 2013 as well as the best Pinotage at under R100 a bottle – experts’ choice

BEYERSKLOOF, Kanonkop, KWV, L’Avenir and Rijk’s top the list of contenders for Champion Pinotage Producer in 2013… The following wines achieved outstanding reviews from the judges at blind-tastings around the world during the past 12 months: TOP PINOTAGE RATINGS IN 2013 Anura Reserve 2011 – Top 10 in Top 10 Pinotage Competition, Double Gold Medal at Michelangelo Awards Beyerskloof Diesel 2010 –

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Ageing SA red wines can be worth it, but what to choose?

WHAT THE inaugural RE:CM 10 Year Old Wine Awards did not do was to confirm what many believe to be true, namely that all red wine improves with age. Because, of course, it’s not true. What the taste-off did serve to do was to highlight a whole bunch of wines that have withstood the test of time, gone the distance

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South Africa’s Top 20 Wineries – 2013 Classification

FOLLOWING the recent announcement of South Africa’s benchmarks in terms of the latest SA Wine Classification and with the full 2013 Classifications carried on the Top Wine SA website, here are the highlights of the 2013 SA Cellar Classification – see below, given in alphabetical order. TOP 20 SA WHITE WINE CELLARS – 2013 CLASSIFICATION Bergkelder (Fleur du Cap) Cape Point

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