In black and white… Sadie named Platter’s Winery of the Year, again
BLUE COVER in 2019, green in 2020, black in 2021… Platter’s 2022 South African Wine Guide is no doubt packed with as much useful info as in previous years, the highlights including awards presented to the top-performing wineries and producers of the tasting panels’ favourites in various categories. Edging out Savage Wines for the overall title, it’s the third time that The Sadie Family of the Paardeberg outside Malmesbury in the Swartland have been honoured as Winery of the Year, having previously been showcased as top performer in the 2015 and 2010 editions in which they also achieved more 5 Star ratings than any other producer. (See below for the names of every recipient of the award to date).
The Enthoven family’s Spier Wine Farm in Stellenbosch was presented with the Editor’s Award for their wine ratings as well as their track record and for being “ambassadors par excellence” for SA wine. The Newcomer of the Year award went to ‘The Vineyard Party’ of winemaker Jolette Steyn, who also heads up sales and imports at fine wine merchant ‘Wine Cellar’ in Cape Town.
After the launch of the new publication, it was not clear when the book would go on sale or at what price, but SA retail stores advised that they expected to take delivery before end-November 2021. For all of the highest-scoring wines in Platter’s 2022 edition and the names of the wine tasters, click here (100-point system introduced in the 2019 edition). For all of the wines rated 5 Stars in the guide, click here.
WINERY OF THE YEAR
The Sadie Family Wines
EDITOR’S AWARD
Spier Wine Farm
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
The Vineyard Party (Jolette Steyn)
WHITE WINES OF THE YEAR
• Buitenverwachting Hussey’s Vlei Sauvignon Blanc 2020
• Cape of Good Hope Laing Groendruif 2020 (Semillon, Rupert)
• Cape Point Isliedh 2020 (Blend)
• Creation Art of Chardonnay 2020
• Mev Kirsten 2020 (Chenin, Sadie)
• Mullineux Old Vines White 2020 (Blend)
• Naudé Langpad 2021 (Colombard)
• Rall Grenache Blanc 2020
SPARKLING WINE OF THE YEAR
• Graham Beck Cuvée Clive 2015 (Cap Classique)
RED WINES OF THE YEAR
• Beyerskloof Faith 2017 (Red Blend)
• Boekenhoutskloof Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
• Boschkloof Epilogue 2019 (Shiraz)
• Columella 2019 (Blend, Sadie)
• Frans K Smit CWG Reserve 2018 (Blend, Spier)
• Jordan Cabernet Franc 2019
• Marianne Floréal 2018 (Red Blend)
• Oak Valley Tabula Rasa PN777 Pinot Noir 2018
• Phantom Grenache 2019 (ArtiSons, Stellenrust)
• Savage Follow the Line 2020 (Cinsaut)
• Shannon Black 2017 (Merlot)
• Sutherland Reserve Petit Verdot 2019 (Thelema)
• The Last of the First Pinotage 2020 (False Bay, Waterkloof)
• Treinspoor 2020 (Tinta Barocca, Sadie)
SWEET WINES OF THE YEAR
• Boekenhoutskloof Noble Late Harvest 2018
• Klein Constantia Vin de Constance Natural Sweet 2017
• KWV Cape Tawny (Port Style)
• Omstaan Wit Muskadel XI (Fortified, Orange River Cellars)
• Savage Not Tonight Josephine 2020 (Straw Wine)
PLATTER’S HALL OF FAME
The following producers have been recipients of Platter’s Top Performing Winery of the Year award since it was first presented in 2007.
2021/22 – Sadie Family
2020/21 – Kleine Zalze
2019/20 – Mullineux
2018/19 – Mullineux
2017/18 – Raats Family
2016/17 – Nederburg
2015/16 – Mullineux & Leeu
2014/15 – Sadie Family
2013/14 – Mullineux
2012/13 – Chamonix
2011/12 – Boekenhoutskloof
2010/11 – Nederburg
2009/10 – Sadie Family
2008/09 – Kanonkop
2007/08 – Cape Point Vineyards
Prior to the 2008 edition of the book published in 2007, a single Wine of the Year award was presented for Vergelegen White 2005, Glen Carlou Syrah 2004 and Jean Daneel Signature Chenin Blanc 2003 in the 2007, 2006 and 2005 editions respectively. Over time, Platter’s Wine of the Year awards increased to two from the 2010 edition (a red and a white wine), to three from the 2016 edition (including a dessert wine), to four in the 2018 edition (including both unfortified and fortified desserts), then jumped to 25 in the 2019 edition (including the panel’s favourite wine in various categories), increased to 36 in the 2020 edition (including all of the highest-scoring wines), then came back down to 28 from the 2021 edition (again limited to the panel’s favourite wine in each category).
• For door-to-door delivery of award-winners in all major centres of South Africa, click here to order from specialist wine shop Norman Goodfellows.
