Cape Point Isliedh 2017 as highly regarded as every vintage before it
WITH THE possible exception of the 2014 vintage, Cape Point Vineyards’ flagship white blend Isliedh hasn’t missed a beat: among the Top 10 of its kind in the SA Wine Classification, one of South Africa’s Top 100 wines over the past 10 years, included in the Top Wine SA Hall of Fame and, at the time of writing, just voted Best Overall in Winemag’s 2018 review of the Sauvignon Blanc Semillon combos currently on sale – the 2017 vintage having also rated 5 Stars in Platter’s SA Wine Guide published earlier in the month.
Winemag’s report included the assessments of 41 wines from 37 producers, with four considered ‘outstanding’ and 20 deemed ‘excellent’ – among them a couple of wines that signal a return to the market of Stellenbosch outfits Hazendal and Quoin Rock in Bottelary and on the Simonsberg respectively.
For the full account, see here. Wines rated Outstanding (93 plus out of 100) and Excellent (90 to 92) are given below – including the standouts in a line-up of 19 wooded Sauvignon Blancs where the panel’s favourite was The Fledge & Co, using grapes from Stellenbosch and a vineyard outside Hermanus but from a cellar in Calitzdorp!
‘OUTSTANDING’ WHITE BLENDS
Cape Point Isliedh 2017
R265 pb at Noordhoek Cellar
Highlands Road Sine Cera 2015
R160 pb at Elgin Cellar
Tokara Director’s Reserve White 2016
R270 pb at Helshoogte Cellar, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
Zorgvliet Simoné 2017
R170 pb at Banghoek Cellar, Stellenbosch
‘EXCELLENT’ WHITE BLENDS
Benguela Cove 2016
R190 pb at Bot River Cellar
Bizoe Henriëtta 2017
R200 pb at Somerset West Cellar
Bloemendal Kanonberg 2015
R205 pb at Durbanville Cellar
Celestina 2017
R120 pb from Gansbaai Producer
Delaire Graff Reserve 2016
R400 pb at Helshoogte Cellar, Stellenbosch
Durbanville Hills Tangram 2017
R375 pb at Durbanville Cellar
Elgin Vintners Century 2017
R187 pb at Elgin Cellar
Flagstone Treaty Tree Reserve 2017
R135 pb at Somerset West Cellar
Ghost Corner Bowline 2016
R210 pb at Cederberg Private Cellar
Ghost Corner Bowline 2017
R210 pb at Cederberg Private Cellar
Hazendal 2017
R260 pb at Bottelary Cellar, Stellenbosch
Highlands Road Sine Cera 2016
R140 pb at Elgin Cellar
Iona One Man Band 2016
R260 pb at Elgin Cellar
Lanzerac Keldermeester Versameling Bergstroom 2017
R190 pb at Jonkershoek Cellar, Stellenbosch
Nitida Coronata Integration 2016
R160 pb at Durbanville Cellar
Quoin Rock 2017
R115 at Simonsberg-Stellenbosch Cellar
Strandveld Adamastor 2016
R165 pb at Elim Cellar
Trizanne Reserve 2017
R190 pb from Cape Town Producer
Warwick Professor Black 2017
R350 pb at Simonsberg-Stellenbosch Cellar
Waverley Hills Organic 2018
R76 pb at Tulbagh Cellar
‘OUTSTANDING’ WOODED SAUVIGNON BLANC
The Fledge & Co Fumé Blanc 2017
R150 pb from Calitzdorp Producer
‘EXCELLENT’ WOODED SAUVIGNON BLANC
Bloemendal Suider Terras 2016
R475 pb at Durbanville Cellar
Cape Point Reserve 2017
R200 pb at Noordhoek Cellar
Diemersdal MM Louw 2017
R180 pb at Durbanville Cellar
Highlands Road Reserve 2017
R295 pb at Elgin Cellar
Iona Klipkop Blanc Fumé 2017
R230 pb at Elgin Cellar
Miravel Nigma 2017
R120 pb from Somerset West Producer
Nederburg Young Airhawk 2017
R167 pb at Paarl Cellar
Overgaauw Abraham 2017
R160 pb at Stellenbosch Kloof Cellar
Rousseau Grace 2018
R95 pb from Constantia Producer
Rousseau Sacharia 2017
R150 pb from Constantia Producer
The Giant Periwinkle Blanc Fumé 2017
R200 pb from Elim Producer
Zevenwacht Z 360º 2017
R140 pb at Kuils River Cellar