Top South African Shiraz grabs judges’ attention in France
THE GOLD medal winners at Syrah du Monde 2021 included the Cederberg Private Cellar of David Nieuwoudt and Nick van Huyssteen’s Saronsberg in Tulbagh, where Dewaldt Heyns is the cellarmaster. France was most impressive with five wines considered among the best on show, followed by Australia (3), Chile, Macedonia, South Africa, Portugal and Morocco.
South Africa’s standout Shiraz was the 2018 Cederberg, one of the Top 10 gold medallists. No surprise there: among the Top 10 SA Shiraz, Top 100 overall in the SA Wine Classification, Top Wine SA Hall of Fame.
During two days of judging hosted in the Rhône, France, the panels assessed 287 entries from 25 countries – red, rosé, still and sparkling, dry and sweet. In total there were 20 gold medal winners and 72 silver medallists. Full results here.
It occupies a special place amongst international competitions thanks to its worldwide scope and its rigorous method. Strict quality standards and optimal tasting conditions enabled the international judges [100 experts] to award 92 medals that are recognised as a reliable criterion for selection.