WITH THEIR achievements in the 2021 edition of the Perold Absa Cape Blend Competition, the five winners showed once again how consistently good their wines are as combos with Pinotage being the leading component comprising between 30% and 70%. Since the competition was first held by the Pinotage Association in 2011, KWV has now won trophies with seven vintages, followed by Idiom (4) and Beyerskloof (3). All five of the winning wines are included in the SA Wine Classification, with Beyerskloof’s Faith and KWV’s Mentors Perold included among the country’s Top 10 red blends overall on the basis of track records spanning the past 10 years.

On the panel of judges were winemakers Wilhelm Pienaar (Hermanuspietersfontein), Rudger van Wyk (Stark-Condé), Elsa du Plessis (Beyerskloof) and Charles Hopkins (De Grendel), together with 2021 Best Sommelier in South Africa Wikus Human (Marble and Saint restaurants, Johannesburg). Pienaar was the tasting panel chair.

THE PANEL’S TOP 5

Beyerskloof Faith 2018
R800pb ex-cellar, Stellenbosch

Flagstone Dragon Tree 2018
R130pb ex-cellar, Somerset West

Idiom Cape Blend 2018
R396pb ex-cellar, Sir Lowry’s Pass

Mentors Perold 2019 (KWV)
R600pb ex-cellar, Paarl

Simonsig Frans Malan Cape Blend 2017
R268pb ex-cellar, Koelenhof-Stellenbosch

THE RUNNERS-UP

Babylonstoren Kaapse Versnit 2019
Not for general release; Simonsberg-Stellenbosch cellar

Beyerskloof Faith 2016
R800 ex-cellar, Stellenbosch

Mentors Perold 2018 (KWV)
R500pb ex-cellar, Paarl

Spier Creative Block 8 2017
R185pb ex-cellar, Vlottenburg-Stellenbosch

Windmeul Reserve Cape Blend 2018
R150pb ex-cellar, Windmeul-Paarl