THE GOLD medal winners at Syrah du Monde 2021 included the Cederberg Private Cellar of David Nieuwoudt and Nick van Huyssteen’s Saronsberg in Tulbagh, where Dewaldt Heyns is the cellarmaster. France was most impressive with five wines considered among the best on show, followed by Australia (3), Chile, Macedonia, South
FRANCE and Australia were the most successful nations at the 2021 International Wine Challenge in London, one of the biggest competitions of its kind – thousands of entries from over 50 countries, with numerous panels judging over a couple of weeks. South Africa secured 13 gold medals, compared to France’s
THERE WERE A NUMBER of familiar labels among the ‘Best in Class’ and ‘Wine of the Year’ laureates that shone in the 2021 SA National Wine Challenge, but nobody could have anticipated the identity of the overall red wine champion. A newcomer from the Koelenhof Winery, The Legacy 2017 is
IT’S NOT OFTEN that the Winemag panel chaired by editor Christian Eedes rates anything higher than 95 on their 100-point scale, but do so they did after sniffing and sipping the 2020 Filly Chenin Blanc from Cavalli Estate on the foothills of the Helderberg in Stellenbosch. Described as ‘profound’, it
AS WINEMAG points out, there is no official definition for a ‘Cape White Blend’, but their proposal is that such wines, as opposed to the Bordeaux-style Semillon-and-Sauvignon-Blanc combos, can be made from any combination of varieties as long as they include a significant Chenin Blanc component, specifically more than 15%
THERE WERE 83 entries received from 43 producers for Winemag’s 2021 Prescient Cap Classique Report. Seven of the Top 10 were 100% Chardonnay, including the most highly rated duo in the line-up from Môreson of Franschhoek (Miss Molly) and Newstead of Plettenberg Bay, both vintage 2015. In fact only one
THERE WERE OVER 1200 wines from around the world gathered for assessment at Mondial du Sauvignon (Blanc) 2021 in Brussels, Belgium. The contest involved some 40 judges who deliberated for four days in choosing 127 gold medallists, nine of which went on to win trophies – three French wines,
THESE ARE the South African wines most highly rated in 2020, contenders for the title of SA Wine of the Year! Or should that be Winery of the Year, or Winemaker of the Year? Clearly some reviews count more than others. On the other hand, it says a lot when
CHENIN BLANC might be the most-planted wine grape variety in South Africa, but Sauvignon Blanc is the country’s top-selling variety… A success story for sure, and most cellars are confident about putting their wines on show for scrutiny by the critics. There were 149 submissions from 96 producers vying for
THE ANNOUNCEMENT of the top award winners at the 2020 International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) was not without a surprise or two… No doubt the 2015 vintage of Bartinney Skyfall Cabernet Sauvignon and Quoin Rock’s Bordeaux-style ‘Red Blend’ – both of Stellenbosch – are worthy of their places among
THERE WERE PLENTY of regulars at the top of the SA Wine Classification included among the 20 finalists of the 2020 Absa Top 10 Pinotage Competition, but by the time the trophy winners were announced only a few of the big-name producers were called to the podium. Good news for
A DOZEN South African wines earned gold medals at the 2020 International Wine & Spirit Competition in the UK. Top score of 97/100 in this regard went to the 2018 vintage of Bouchard Finlayson Missionvale Chardonnay from the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, with three wines scored 96 points, namely the Nicolas van
