CONTRARY TO what some people might think, certain wine producer trophy laureates at the mega International Wine & Spirit Competition in the UK are determined less according to the quality and interest value of the wine and more according to the producer's response to a questionnaire covering a range of topics including marketing activities and sustainability as well as why they should be selected as the winner… Example: Red Wine Producer Trophy. Example: Outstanding Wine Producer Trophy. Both of which in 2024 were won by South Africa's Vilafonté (Stellenbosch cellar, Paarl vineyards). Although hey, their wines are very good, among the best on show.
Some might also have an issue with the fact that the winners of the “regional-level Global Producer Trophies” are more about how many gold and silver medals a producer won than how highly their wines are rated. Example: the South African Wine Producer Trophy, presented in 2024 to Cederberg Wines, who won more gold and silver than any other of the country's entrants but didn't top-score in the initial rounds of judging and didn't get the nod when all of the gold medallists were retasted to choose the trophy-winning wines. Although hey, their wines are very good – Hall of Fame good.
The thing is, surely what interests wine lovers most when considering show results is what the panels of experts really fancied, their favourites, what they recommended most highly! Following on from the post about Vilafonté's and Perdeberg's producer-trophy achievements at IWSC 2024, see below for the most highly rated of South Africa's 36 gold medallists, i.e. those wines scored higher than 95 on a 100-point scale in a ‘blind tasting', no questions asked…
TROPHY WINNERS
Endura Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc 2022
R250pb ex-Perdeberg cellar, Paarl
Vilafonté Series C 2019 (Red Blend)
Sold out ex-cellar, Stellenbosch
Vilafonté Series M 2019 (Red Blend)
Sold out ex-cellar, Stellenbosch
SCORED 97/100
Capensis Silene Chardonnay 2022
R375pb ex-producer, Banghoek-Stellenbosch
DeMorgenzon Reserve Syrah 2021
R475pb ex-cellar, Stellenbosch Kloof
Kershaw Clonal Selection Chardonnay 2020
R725pb ex-cellar, Elgin
Villiera Monro Brut 2017 (Cap Classique)
R410pb ex-cellar, Koelenhof-Stellenbosch
SCORED 96/100
Cederberg Shiraz 2020
R280pb ex-cellar, Cederberg
Constantia Glen Two 2022 (White Blend)
R350pb ex-cellar, Constantia Nek
Desiderius Pongrácz 2018 (Cap Classique)
R595pb ex-Heineken Beverages, Stellenbosch
Jordan Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2022
Sold out ex-cellar, Stellenbosch Kloof
Newstead Brut Blanc de Blanc 2017 (Cap Classique)
Sold out ex-cellar, Plettenberg Bay
PF Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
R300pb ex-Peter Falke cellar, Helderberg-Stellenbosch
Spier Seaward Shiraz 2022
R150pb ex-cellar, Vlottenburg-Stellenbosch
Vilafonté Series M 2022 (Red Blend)
R1260pb ex-cellar, Stellenbosch
• For ALL the gold medal-winning SA wines at the 2024 International Wine & Spirit Competition according to type/variety, click here.
