WHEN IT COMES TO South African Cab, there’s no question as to which part of the country’s winelands dominates the category. Not that Stellenbosch has it all their own way… See below for what has been most highly rated by the panels of experts internationally during 2023 to date. Highlighted in red are those Cabernets that qualified for the SA
Read moreOH FOR A BOTTLE or a case of each! The panels of experts have spoken… See below for the honours roll when it comes to the South African Chardonnays most highly rated internationally during 2023 to date. Highlighted in red are those that qualified for the SA Wine Classification showcasing good track records over the past 10 years. Almenkerk
Read moreWHO HASN’T seen one of those wine bottle stickers denoting a Tim Atkin rating or award! The assessments by this British Master of Wine are conducted with full knowledge of whose wine it is and where it comes from, what vintage it is and how it was made – they are not ‘blind’ tastings, labels out of sight, and sometimes
Read moreOF THE 95 wines judged worthy of double gold medals at South Africa’s 2022 Veritas Awards, there are 19 standouts on the basis of various tasting results… 95 is a big number, and the organisers won’t publish the scores, which range from 93 to 100, i.e. they tell the respective wine producers who entered the wines, but they won’t tell
Read moreIT’S NOT OFTEN that you see wine estates trumpeting about a silver medal, yet the sound of popping corks can get pretty pretty loud when a respected critic or tasting panel awards a score in the 90s – regardless of whether or not it warrants a gold medal, let alone double gold or platinum. It’s amazing how the mind works:
Read moreOF COURSE wine ratings matter! Reviews by panels of experts, that is, i.e. if you want to gauge just how good a wine is. We’re talking about assessments of what’s in the glass by those in the know, labels out of sight – reaching consensus without being influenced by the brand status, marketing, winemaker or the location of the vineyards.
Read moreAWKWARD! Who was more embarrassed: the good folk at Spier Wine Farm in Stellenbosch, the South African National Wine Show Association who organise the Veritas Awards, or the sponsors of the competition? Whereas De Grendel Wine Estate in Panorama/Durbanville would be forgiven if they felt robbed! The 2021 prize-giving took place in early November and the Duimpie Bayly Veritas Vertex
Read moreTHE 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
Read moreHOW DID THAT HAPPEN? In September 2019 the International Wine & Spirit Competition organisers in the UK announce that the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon from Bartinney of Banghoek in Stellenbosch is one of the South African entries to be scored 97 points – as reported here. A month later – see here – the IWSC announces that at the show’s awards
Read moreGIVEN THE accusations and counter-accusations that have raged on between certain wine fundis of late, you cannot but wonder about the merits of what was being argued and the motivations of those who got involved in the argument one way or another. Core to the debate are issues that have occupied the minds of many scribes and wine enthusiasts the
Read moreTHERE WERE 52 entries from 33 South African producers assessed for the 2017 Pinot Noir Report on Winemag.co.za. The top-scoring wines were as follows (see below), with Creation Reserve Pinot Noir 2015 judged best overall: “Gleaming garnet with an inviting bouquet… Peppercorn and clove… Layers of dried fruit mingle with hints of raspberry and piquant spice… A lingering wine with
Read moreINTERESTING results there were from the 2017 Winemag tasting of South African Cabernet Sauvignon. From a line-up of 65 Cabs that producers were invited to submit for assessment, panel chair Christian Eedes together with fellow judges Roland Peens and James Pietersen of Cape Town merchants Wine Cellar found 15 beauties they regarded as ‘excellent’ – but none great enough to warrant
Read moreYOU MIGHT well wonder why Rustenberg Peter Barlow was excluded from the line-up for Winemag.co.za’s 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon report, i.e. given the wine’s great track record over the past 10 years, given that it was scored 5 Stars in the 2014 edition of the report and then chosen as the international judges’ overall favourite at this year’s Trophy Wine Show. You might also wonder
Read more
