HE'S DONE IT again! Elgin winemaker Richard Kershaw MW was one of the four top-scoring South African producers at the 2024 International Wine & Spirit Competition in London – the 97/100 for his 2020 Kershaw Clonal Selection Chardonnay following more scores in the high 90s for two other Chardonnays he had a hand in, the 2021 Lothian at the Trophy Wine Show (SA) as well as the 2022 Lothian and 2023 Whalehaven Seascape Reserve at the International Wine Challenge (UK). And that's not all: the 2021 Lothian also achieved gold at the Decanter World Wine Awards (UK), and Kershaw's 2020 Deconstructed Lake District Bokkeveld Shale CY96 won him the Chardonnay trophy at South Africa's inaugural Fine Wine Awards. A champion of note!
Also 97-pointers at this, one of the biggest wine competitions in the world, were the Capensis Silene Chardonnay 2022, the DeMorgenzon Reserve Syrah 2021 and the sparkling Cap Classique Villiera Monro Brut 2017. The Cap Classique category was described by the judges as one of the highlights of the show, delivering fantastic value and complexity, and the Cape's “Chardonnays performed brilliantly”. See below for all of the SA gold medal winners, and for all the medallists click here – trophy winners to be announced in September.
SA GOLD MEDALLISTS
CHARDONNAY
Bartinney Hourglass 2022
R495pb ex-cellar, Banghoek-Stellenbosch
Bouchard Finlayson Crocodile's Lair 2022
R225pb ex-cellar, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
Capensis Silene 2022
R375pb ex-producer, Banghoek-Stellenbosch
Jordan Barrel Fermented 2022
R275pb ex-cellar, Stellenbosch Kloof
Kershaw Clonal Selection 2020
R598pb ex-cellar, Elgin
CHENIN BLANC
Cederberg Five Generations 2023
R360pb ex-cellar, Cederberg
Endura Single Vineyard 2022
R250pb ex-Perdeberg cellar, Paarl
L'Avenir Single Block 2022
R450pb ex-cellar, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
Villiera Barrel Fermented 2023
R215pb ex-cellar, Koelenhof-Stellenbosch
WHITE BLEND
Constantia Glen Two 2022
R350pb ex-cellar, Constantia
Kershaw GPS Cape South Coast Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2022
R395pb ex-cellar, Elgin
SPARKLING CAP CLASSIQUE
Desiderius Pongrácz 2018
R595pb ex-producer (Heineken), Stellenbosch
Graham Beck Ultra Brut 2017
R390pb ex-cellar, Robertson
Hazendal Blanc de Blanc Brut 2020
R275pb ex-cellar, Bottelary-Stellenbosch
Newstead Brut Blanc de Blanc 2017
R290pb ex-cellar, Plettenberg Bay
Villiera Monro Brut 2017
R410pb ex-cellar, Koelenhof-Stellenbosch
CABERNET FRANC
Backsberg Patriarch 2022
R225pb ex-producer, Franschhoek
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Diemersdal Journal 2022
R385pb ex-cellar, Durbanville
Mont Rochelle 2020
R230pb ex-cellar, Franschhoek
PF (Peter Falke) 2022
R300pb ex-cellar, Helderberg-Stellenbosch
Spier 21 Gables 2020
R380pb ex-cellar, Vlottenburg-Stellenbosch
Warwick Blue Lady 2020
R550pb ex-cellar, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
MALBEC
Journey's End Pioneer 2022
R225pb ex-cellar, Sir Lowry's Pass, Somerset West
PINOTAGE
Flagstone Writer's Block Pinotage 2021
R380pb ex-cellar, Somerset West / Strand
SHIRAZ / SYRAH
Cederberg Shiraz 2020
R280pb ex-cellar, Cederberg
Cederberg Shiraz 2021
R280pb ex-cellar, Cederberg
DeMorgenzon Reserve Syrah 2021
R475pb ex-cellar, Stellenbosch Kloof
Spier Seaward Shiraz 2022
R150pb ex-cellar, Vlottenburg-Stellenbosch
RED BLEND
Bacco Red Blend 2021
R360pb ex-cellar, Paarl
Franschhoek Cellar Last Elephant 2021
R550pb ex-cellar
Vilafonté Series C 2019
Museum Class, Stellenbosch cellar
Vilafonté Series M 2019
Museum Class, Stellenbosch cellar
Vilafonté Series M 2022
R1260pb ex-cellar, Stellenbosch
Endura Winemaker's Selection Cape Blend 2021
R350pb ex-Perdeberg cellar, Paarl
SWEET / DESSERT
Nederburg Winemasters Noble Late Harvest 2023
R150pb (375ml) ex-cellar, Paarl
Vin de Constance 2020 (Natural Sweet)
R1400pb (500ml) ex-Klein Constantia cellar
2 Responses
Lothian actually won the coveted IWC South African White wine Trophy as well as the Elgin trophy for the 2022 Lothian Chardonnay, having won it in 2021 with their Pinot Noir. Dudley Wilson, as the 2nd winemaker at Lothian, also deserves a mention, as without doubt he is a major contributor to the team’s success.
The list of judges of the SA entries in the 2024 international Wine & Spirit Competition: John Hoskins, Rebecca Palmer, Matthew Horsley, Vincenzo Arnese, Libby Brodie, Xenia Ruscombe-King, Greg Mutambe, Pearl Oliver, Joseph T Dhafana, Sandy Harper, Dr Winifred Bowman, James Peterson, Heidi Duminy, Ivan Dixon, Leah Van Deventer, Ryan Duvenage, Andy Watts, Wellington Muromba.