“EXQUISITE” is how the top wines were described by judges at the inaugural Global Cabernet Franc Masters hosted by The Drinks Business publication in the UK, where South African producers excelled. The variety is thought to have originated in Spain, with the leading examples traditionally hailing from the Loire and Bordeaux regions of France. Yet in this, the first international
Read moreCHARDONNAY and bubbly are what come to mind for many when contemplating the cellars of the Robertson Wine Valley. But they also offer good reds, and sweet pleasures too. See below for the top wineries in the area and what they’re best at. For the names of exactly which wines from the area have the best track records, see
Read moreWHAT to take away from Winemag’s 2020 Prescient Report on South African Sauvignon Blanc… For starters, editor Christian Eedes and fellow tasting panel members Roland Peens as well as James Pietersen of Cape Town merchant/cellarer Wine Cellar are among those who generally regard the Bordeaux-style blends and Wooded Sauvignons as generally superior to unwooded Sauvignon. “Whereas unwooded Sauvignon often succeeds
Read moreTO SAY THAT the judges at the 2020 Cab Franc Challenge were impressed with the overall standard of the wines is an understatement: 29 of the 31 South African producers who entered the competition were pronounced winners and 90% of the entries (47 out of 52) from various parts of the Cape winelands were found to be of gold medal
Read moreLOCATED on Route 62 east of Robertson in the Breede River Valley, the Rietvallei Estate has been in the Burger family for over 150 years – established in 1864, farming grapes for over 100 years and bottling wine since 1975. As a wine farm, it was initially renowned for top Muscadel, with the portfolio gradually expanding to include a number
Read moreCOULDN’T help it! At first glance, what first ‘jumped out’ of Winemag’s 2019 Cape Bordeaux Red Blend Report was that one of the Top 5 is from a cellar in Worcester, and selling for a lot less than most of the top-rated submissions from Stellenbosch and Somerset West! Turns out that the Leipzig Grand Master 2017 is made from grapes
Read moreTHE MOST successful wine outfits in and around the town of Robertson in a district that also encompasses Ashton, Bonnievale and McGregor, tend to be those close to the Breede River. And Robertson’s Top 10 producers according to track records spanning the 10 years 2005 to 2014 include some of South Africa’s leading bubbly producers as well as cellars with good
Read moreTHE GOLD MEDAL that Robertson’s Rietvallei Wine Estate has won with a 2012 at this year’s Chardonnay du Monde in Burgundy, France, follows the gold medal they won with a 2011 at the same competition last year. Prior to last year Rietvallei Chardonnay wasn’t on many radar screens, but having been selected among a Top 10 at a reputable tasting
Read moreJacques Kallis EARLIER THIS YEAR, shortly after former South African golf star David Frost sold his wine farm in Paarl it was announced that Protea cricketers Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher had teamed up with Rietvallei Wine Estate in Robertson to launch a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Sauvignon Blanc under The Innings label – good value wines, with the 2010 Cab at
Read moreGREAT VALUE from Sauvignon Blanc at under R65 per bottle – South African wines that have received good reviews by one or more of the top tasting panels around the world during the past 18 months. Prices given in SA rand, ex-cellar or approximate retail in the case of wineries that are closed to the public: At R50pb – Rietvallei Sauvignon
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