THERE are SIX producers in various parts of the Cape winelands who are most applauded in the 2024 edition of Platter’s South African Wine Guide. Congratulations to The Sadie Family outside Malmesbury, Platter’s Winery of the Year, to Bosman Family Vineyards of Wellington and the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde outside Hermanus, recipient of The Editor’s Award, as well as to those producers of the most highly rated wines in the guide this year, namely L’Avenir and Stellenrust of Stellenbosch, ‘City on a Hill’ outside Malmesbury and Duncan Savage of Cape Town.

Whereas the Winery of the Year is determined on the basis of who achieves the most Five-Star ratings, The Editor’s Award is presented by Philip van Zyl in honour of a producer’s wine achievements over the years, their track record, as well as what they’ve done as great ambassadors for the industry. However, in assessing over 8000 reds, whites, bubbles and sweets from well over 900 brand owners in 2023, the Platter’s team of critics* scored the wines out of 100: over 200 were rated 95 points or more to qualify for Five Stars, with around 30 scored 96, close to 20 scored 97 and five considered worthy of 98 points, the highest score in the guide.

While the vast majority of Platter’s ratings are given by critics who know full well what they’re tasting, to be rated Five Stars in the guide involves a final round of ‘blind tasting’, labels out of sight. That said, the top-rated wines in Platter’s 2024 edition, scored 98 points, are: three Chenins, i.e. Stellenrust’s ‘Old Bush Vine’ 2022 (best in class) and ‘Barrel Fermented’ 2022, as well the ‘Earth’ 2022 from André Bruyns / City on a Hill; a Pinotage, the L’Avenir ‘Single Block’ 2020; and a Shiraz, the CWG Auction Syrah 2021 from Duncan Savage.

Cabernet Sauvignon fans might not be surprised on hearing that the top-scoring wine from this variety as reviewed in the guide is from Stellenbosch, but they might well be at the news that it’s the maiden vintage of a new addition to the portfolio at Beyerskloof, i.e. “The Home of Pinotage”. And who would have thought that of the top-scoring sweets according to Platter’s aficionados, the most highly rated port-style wine is a non-vintage KWV Tawny at just R99 a bottle ex-cellar in Paarl, rather than one of the Vintage Reserves from Calitzdorp or Stellenbosch.

At the time of writing, the hardcover printed version of Platter’s 2024 SA Wine Guide was due on the bookshelves in early-December 2023, expected to retail for between R350 or so from the discounters and the recommended price of R411, although the digital version (R175) was made available earlier to coincide with the presentation of the publication’s ‘Pinnacle Awards’.

* The wine experts commissioned as tasters for Platter’s 2024 guide were Master of Wine Cathy van Zyl, Cape Wine Masters Winnie Bowman, Greg De Bruyn, Tim James, Christine Rudman and Meryl Weaver, wine educators Cathy Marston and Nomonde Kubheka, sommelier Penny Setti, wine writers Malu Lambert, Fiona McDonald and Angela Lloyd, as well as Dave Swingler of the International Wine & Food Society.

Most Highly Rated in Platter’s 2024

96+ on the ‘100-point international scale’

WHITE BLENDS

96 Beaumont New Baby 2022 – R450pb ex-cellar, Bot River
96 Fairview Beryl Back 2022 – R330pb ex-cellar, Paarl

CHARDONNAY

96 Delaire Graff Estate Terraced Block Reserve 2022 – R915pb ex-cellar, Banghoek-Stellenbosch

CHENIN BLANC

98 City on a Hill Earth 2022 – R525pb ex-producer, Malmesbury-Swartland
98 Stellenrust Barrel Fermented 2022 – R250pb ex-cellar, Helderberg-Stellenbosch
98 Stellenrust Old Bush Vine 2022 – R300pb ex-cellar, Helderberg-Stellenbosch

97 Bellingham Bernard Series Old Vine Limited Release 2022 – R215pb ex-producer, Franschhoek
97 DeMorgenzon Reserve  2022 – R445pb ex-cellar, Stellenbosch Kloof
97 Ken Forrester FMC 2022 – R775pb ex-cellar, Helderberg-Stellenbosch
97 Mothership 2022 (ArtiSons) – R520pb from Stellenrust cellar, Helderberg-Stellenbosch
97 Mullineux Granite 2022 – R630pb ex-producer, Riebeek-Kasteel / Franschhoek
97 Mullineux Schist 2022 – R630pb ex-producer, Riebeek-Kasteel / Franschhoek
97 Savage Never Been Asked to Dance 2022 – R365pb ex-cellar, Cape Town

96 Bosman Optenhorst 2022 – R415pb ex-producer, Wellington / Upper Hemel-en-Aarde
96 David & Nadia CWG Veiling 2022 – Auction wine, Malmesbury cellar
96 Mev Kirsten 2022 (Sadie Family) – R1095pb ex-cellar, Malmesbury
96 Rijk’s Reserve 2021 – R400pb ex-cellar, Tulbagh
96 Rotsbank 2022 (Sadie Family) – R495pb ex-cellar, Malmesbury
96 Skurfberg 2022 (Sadie Family) – R495pb ex-cellar, Malmesbury
96 Stark-Condé Monk Stone 2022 – R350pb ex-cellar, Jonkershoek-Stellenbosch

SAUVIGNON BLANC

97 Diemersdal Journal 2022 – R240pb ex-cellar, Durbanville

SEMILLON

96 Steenberg 2022 – R260pb ex-cellar, Tokai-Constantia

CAP CLASSIQUE SPARKLING

97 Babylonstoren Sprankel 2018 – R650pb ex-cellar, Simonsberg-Paarl

RED BLENDS

97 Beyerskloof Faith 2020 – R800pb ex-cellar, Stellenbosch
97 Vondeling Philosophie 2019 – R1075pb ex-producer, Paarl

96 Alto Estate Blend 2020 – R450pb ex-cellar, Helderberg-Stellenbosch
96 Carl Everson Cape Blend 2021 (Opstal) – R250pb ex-cellar, Breedekloof
96 Fairview Cyril Back 2020 – R995pb ex-cellar, Paarl
96 Marianne Desirade 2020 – R520pb ex-cellar, Stellenbosch
96 Remhoogte Reserve Sir Thomas Cullinan 2019 – R420pb ex-cellar, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
96 Rustenberg John X Merriman 2021 – R240pb ex-cellar, Stellenbosch

CABERNET FRANC

96 Raats Eden High Density Single Vineyard 2021 – R2750pb ex-producer, Stellenbosch

CABERNET SAUVIGNON

97 Beyerskloof Eerste Ry 2019 – R550pb ex-cellar, Stellenbosch

96 David Finlayson GS 2021 – R550pb ex-cellar, Stellenbosch
96 High Road Reserve 2019 – Price t.b.c. – Stellenbosch cellar

GRENACHE NOIR

96 Kleine Zalze Project Z 2022 – Price t.b.c. – Helderberg-Stellenbosch cellar

PINOTAGE

98 L’Avenir Single Block 2020 – R700pb ex-cellar, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch

97 Francois van Niekerk 2021 – R710pb ex-producer, Wellington

96 Kanonkop Black Label 2021 – R2350pb ex-cellar, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch

SHIRAZ / SYRAH

98 Savage CWG Syrah 2021 – Auction wine, Cape Town cellar

97 Boschkloof Epilogue 2021 – R850pb ex-cellar, Polkadraai Hills in Stellenbosch

96 Sons of Sugarland 2022 (Patatsfontein, Boschkloof) – R415pb ex-cellar, Polkadraai Hills in Stellenbosch
96 Van Loggerenberg Graft 2022 – R670pb ex-cellar, Paarl

DESSERT WINE

97 Alvi’s Drift Reserve Muscat Nectarinia 2017 (White Muscadel) – R189pb (375ml) ex-cellar, Scherpenheuwel-Worcester
97 Vin de Constance 2020 (Klein Constantia, Natural Sweet) – R1400pb (500ml) ex-cellar, Constantia

96 Delheim Edelspatz Botrytis Riesling 2021 (Noble Late Harvest) – R395pb (375ml) ex-cellar, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
96 Savage Not Tonight Josephine 2022 (Straw Wine) – R470pb (375ml) ex-cellar, Cape Town

CAPE PORT

97 KWV Cape Tawny NV – R99pb ex-cellar, Paarl

96 De Krans Cape Vintage Reserve 2021 – R350pb ex-cellar, Calitzdorp
96 Delaire Graff Cape Vintage 2021 – R560pb ex-cellar, Banghoek-Stellenbosch