IT’S GREAT to experience something new, something different from winemakers at the cutting edge and on the fringe, the explorers and innovators. However, there’s also something delightfully reassuring about those top-quality wine producers who consistently deliver big time on pleasure and interest value from one decade to the next. Some of South Africa’s wines with the best track records today were already at the top of the rankings 10 years ago, if not long before, and who’s to say they won’t be among the cognoscenti’s favourites well into the future.

Take Chardonnay: Hamilton Russell, Jordan, Paul Cluver and Rustenberg were leaders in the field 10 years back and remain at the forefront today. In terms of Chenin Blanc: Beaumont, Ken Forrester and Kleine Zalze were among the Top 10 in 2013 and are still among the Top 10 in 2023. Sauvignon Blancs from Cape Point, Diemersdal and Kleine Zalze were at the top of the SA Wine Classification in 2013 and are there again in 2023. While South Africa’s exceptional white blends as far as track records go include Cape Point, The Sadie Family, Tokara and Vergelegen – among the very best today, as they were 10 years ago and then some.

Similarly, regarding the reds which have track records that are as good in 2023 as they were way back when: Cabernet Sauvignon from Cederberg, Kanonkop and Stark-Condé; Pinot Noir from Bouchard Finlayson; Pinotage from Kanonkop, Rijk’s, Simonsig and Spier; Shiraz from Cederberg and Saronsberg; red blends from Jordan, Kanonkop, La Motte, Rust en Vrede and Saronsberg.

For the most highly rated wines in the latest SA Wine Classification, click here, and for those in the Top Wine SA Hall of Fame, click here. For the latest SA Cellar Classification, click here, and for the full SA Wine Classification, click here.

Saronsberg, Tulbagh – one of the stars in the SA Wine Classification