THERE ARE very few SA wines selling for Under R150pb being showcased on Top Wine SA as of May '24. Which says a couple of things: that prices are climbing, to state the obvious, and that only those wines that have been highly rated by a top panel during the past six months are focused on here. Yes, sometimes good reviews of a wine precede its release date, but in many cases it is increasingly hard to get as wine lovers snap up the stocks once news breaks of the latest bargain on offer…
An objective of the Under R150 showcase is to help minimise the frustration felt by bargain hunters chasing after one beauty or another, only to find that it's sold out – which is why listings are removed from this page six months after the recommendations go public. Of course, there are wines costing considerably more that are in such high demand and produced in such limited quantity that they too sell out quickly – whereas much of what's highly recommended might well be available for a bit longer, albeit rarely until the next vintage is released.
So far this year we've had reviews by panels at the International Wine Challenge and Global Wine Masters in the UK, Gilbert & Gaillard (FR), Winemag (SA), Chardonnay du Monde (FR) and the Cab Franc Challenge (SA). And of the wines at Under R150 that have both a good rating by these experts in 2024 and a track record over the past 10 years impressive enough to be included in the SA Wine Classification, the following stand out:
• Diemersdal Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2023
• Franschhoek Cellar Chardonnay 2023
• KWV Cape Tawny NV (fortified)
• Landskroon Blanc de Noir Pinotage Off Dry 2023
• Paul Cluver Sauvignon Blanc 2023
• Zonnebloem Shiraz Mourvèdre Viognier 2022
Next up will be a tranche of Winemag category reports (SA), the prestigious Trophy Wine Show (SA), Syrah du Monde (FR) and the largest of them all, the Decanter World Wine Awards (UK).
Bring it on!
