IN THE JANUARY 2023 issue of the UK’s Decanter Magazine, three South African wines are included among the team’s favourites during the previous 12 months. Decanter’s wine experts around the world nominated the wines that had impressed them most in 2022 and some 125 of these were then tasted ‘blind’ by a panel comprising Vincenzo Arnese, head sommelier of Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester Hotel in London, Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW, widely published wine journalist and educator, together with wine writer Amanda Barnes.

Among the 62 wines scored 95+ were the non-vintage Olerasay Straw Wine from Mullineux (Riebeek-Kasteel), Piekenierskloof Grenache 2020 (Citrusdal) and Rascallion Devonian Chenin Blanc 2021 (grapes from the Swartland, producer based in Stellenbosch). Earlier, the Mullineux Olerasay achieved one of the top scores awarded in Platter’s SA Wine Guide, the Piekenierskloof Grenache was a gold medallist at the Decanter World Wine Awards (UK), and Rascallion Devonian was a winner in the Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge (SA).