IN THE 2021 edition of Platter’s South African Wine Guide, the number of 5 Star laureates runs to 210 – in the 2020 edition there were 125, a year before that there were 90 and 10 years ago there were 56. In part this could be ascribed to rising standards throughout the industry with a growing number of producers delivering really fine wines, and more interesting wines. However, what was once the ultimate accolade from a team that aims to taste and rate every wine from every South African vintage is now secondary in what the publishers stress is not a competition, albeit that wines are scored, awarded, sold and adorned with bottle-stickers in a fashion not that dissimilar to the various shows and challenges locally and internationally.

Platter’s most prestigious awards nowadays are for the Winery of the Year (Kleine Zalze), the Editor’s choice (Rall), the Newcomer of the Year (Pilgrim), and the Wines of the Year (see below). The choice of Winery of the Year is based on the number and type of top ratings achieved by each cellar’s portfolio of wines, which included seven 5 Star ratings in the case of this year’s ‘winner’. The Wines of the Year are the highest-scoring 5 Star wines according to the tasters, whose names had yet to be confirmed at the time of going to press but probably incorporated most if not all of the critics involved for the 2020 edition: Cape Wine Masters Winifred Bowman, Greg de Bruyn, Tim James, Christine Rudman, Meryl Weaver and Cathy van Zyl MW, together with wine educator Cathy Marston, sommelier Gregory Mutambe, wine writers Joanne Gibson, Angela Lloyd and Fiona McDonald, as well as Dave Swingler of the International Food & Wine Society.

Unlike previous years when the publishers and brand owners Diners Club staged functions that doubled as occasions to launch the latest edition of the guide as well as to present the annual awards, this time round, given the COVID-19 pandemic, award recipients were announced online in tranches over the course of a week or so, beginning with Winery of the Year, followed by the Editor’s Award and Newcomer of the Year, then the Wines of the Year. With the book itself only due to go on sale a month later, those curious about the thousands of ratings and reviews – including the 5 Star honorees and ‘Hidden Gems’ revealed in the 2021 edition – were asked to pay for an online subscription. The process was not without some controversy.

Platter’s rating system involves two methods of judging, i.e. label-sighted assessments that apply to 99% of the wines, as well as a blind-tasting (with no label showing) of wines scored 93 points or more with the labels in view and which applies to those that are Highly Recommended (94 points), 5 Star laureates (95+) or Wines of the Year (highest scores). Many of the top-rated wines in Platter’s 2021 have good track records, a number of the winemakers at the top of their game. As for the winery most applauded in the latest/next SA wine ‘bible’, Kleine Zalze of Stellenbosch does indeed produce many a decorated wine, but apparently not one that impressed the tasters enough to warrant a Platter’s Wine of the Year award. Some might well argue that The Sadie Family or Boekenhoutskloof or Beyerskloof or Newton Johnson should have got the nod…

 

Best of 5 Stars

 

WHITE WINE

Cape of Good Hope Laing Groendruif 2017 (Semillon)
R125pb at Anthonij Rupert cellar, Franschhoek

Cape Point Isliedh 2019 (White Blend)
R350pb ex-cellar, Noordhoek

Ken Forrester Roussanne 2018
R275pb ex-cellar, Helderberg-Stellenbosch

Morgenster Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2019
R190pb ex-cellar, Somerset West

Newton Johnson Family Vineyards Chardonnay 2019
R360pb ex-cellar, Upper Hemel-en-Aarde

Paul Cluver Woolworths Ferricrete Riesling 2018
R90pb from Woolworths

Rall Grenache Blanc 2019
R250pb ex-producer, Malmesbury

Ridgeback Viognier 2019
R140pb ex-cellar, Paarl

Sadie Mev Kirsten 2019 (Chenin)
R866pb ex-cellar, Malmesbury

Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse Cape White 2019
R265pb ex-producer, Bot River

 

SPARKLING WINE

Charles Fox Cipher 2015 (MCC)
R505pb ex-cellar, Elgin

 

RED WINE

Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage 2018
R850pb ex-cellar, Stellenbosch

Beyerskloof Faith 2016 (Red Blend)
R750pb ex-cellar, Stellenbosch

Boekenhoutskloof Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
R460pb ex-cellar, Franschhoek

Kanonkop Paul Sauer 2017 (Red Blend)
R700pb ex-cellar, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch

Newton Johnson Windansea Pinot Noir 2019
R535pb ex-cellar, Upper Hemel-en-Aarde

Rust en Vrede Estate 2017 (Red Blend)
R450pb ex-cellar, Helderberg-Stellenbosch

Sadie Pofadder 2019 (Cinsaut)
R361pb ex-cellar, Malmesbury

Sadie Soldaat 2019 (Grenache)
R361pb ex-cellar, Malmesbury

Shannon Mount Bullet 2017 (Merlot)
R465pb ex-cellar, Elgin

Sijnn Red 2017 (Blend)
R390pb ex-cellar, Malgas

Sons of Sugarland Syrah 2019 (Patatsfontein)
R375 from producer, Stellenbosch

Sutherland Reserve Petit Verdot 2017
R360pb from Thelema cellar, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch

Villiera CWG Drip Barrel Cabernet Franc 2018
Auction Reserve, Stellenbosch Producer

 

SWEET WINE

Boekenhoutskloof Noble Late Harvest 2017
R300pb (375ml) ex-cellar, Franschhoek

Bredell’s Cape Vintage Reserve 2017 (Port)
R300pb from JP Bredell, Langeberg-Garcia

Klein Constantia Vin de Constance Natural Sweet 2016
R1150pb (500ml) ex-cellar, Constantia

Mullineux Olerasay Straw Wine NV
R765pb (375ml) ex-cellar, Riebeek-Kasteel