Highest scores ever awarded for Shiraz by the Winemag panel
THE TASTING PANEL of South Africa’s Winemag.co.za has never scored any glass of red or white higher than 96 out of 100, and prior to May 2024 had only awarded such a score to nine wines since they began using a 100-point scale. In 2023 they found just one wine considered worthy of being called “extraordinary” or ‘profound”, however in Winemag’s Prescient Shiraz Report 2024, there are rave reviews for three wines that got the nod – the most glowing reviews of SA Shiraz by the panel to date.
The Heritage Syrah from Leeuwenkuil should need no introduction: a wine with such a good track record as to be included among the Top 10 Shiraz in the SA Wine Classification and one of the most highly rated Cape wines over the past 10 years. Owned by the Dreyer family, an interesting outfit for a number of reasons, one of which is that it has a couple of homes at least, with the cellar in Paarl and the vineyards designated WO Swartland.
Vine Venom? What a name, and the first vintage of this wine from Samantha Suddons of Riebeek-West, using grapes from elsewhere in the Swartland, the vines grown on the Paardeberg. Only 850 bottles. “100% whole bunch, foot crushed, wild ferment and aged 18 months in old French barrels.”
And the wine considered Best Overall in the report: a Raar Shiraz, another “rare or scarce” wine from the Swartland and the lowest-priced of the top three in this instance – the Riebeek Valley Wine Co choosing to accentuate one of the methods used in the cellar by spelling it out on the front label.
96/100
Leeuwenkuil Heritage Syrah 2019
R460pb ex-cellar, Paarl (WO Swartland)
Raar Shiraz Carbonic Maceration 2023
R179pb ex-Riebeek Valley Wine Co, Swartland-Riebeek-Kasteel
Vine Venom Spektra 2021
R280pb ex-cellar, Swartland-Riebeek West
95/100
Cape Five Reserve Shiraz 2021
R155pb ex-Stellenview cellar, Devon Valley-Stellenbosch
Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection Syrah 2021
R210pb ex-cellar, Stellenbosch
Mellish Bakenkop Syrah 2021
R245pb ex-producer, Durbanville
Zoetendal Signatura Shiraz 2022
R550pb ex-cellar, Elim-Cape Agulhas
• There were 65 wines submitted for assessment in Winemag’s 2024 Shiraz Report. For more details and all of the ratings, click here.
