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Category: Wine Types, Varieties, Styles

Winemag panel favours Bernard Series above 81 other Chenins

“CHENIN BLANC is famously versatile, and it would be wrong to say that any one style prevailed among the top performing wines,” said Winemag editor Christian Eedes in the 2022 Prescient Report, compiled after the assessment of 82 entries from 61 producers in the Cape winelands. “Chenin is South Africa’s

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Eenzaamheid and Wildeberg excel in SA Shiraz Report

“THE BEST Shiraz is nothing if not peppery and many will have quite grippy tannins as a result of whole-bunch fermentation… Shiraz is for those who aren’t afraid of some flavour intensity.” So says Winemag editor Christian Eedes, who chaired the panel tasting of 99 South African wines from 82

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Sparkling delight: white Pinotage taken to whole new level

ON THE FARM Dekkersvlei in Klein Drakenstein, Paarl, Mellasat is off the beaten track. At these vineyards, proprietor Stephen Richardson, cellarmaster Gizelle Coetzee and their team like to do things somewhat differently. In fact this one’s never been done before… There’s nothing else quite like it. Not the first Cap

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Once again Cab Franc Challenge won by a cellar in Franschhoek

CHAMONIX of Franschhoek are on track in building a good track record with their Cabernet Franc, but who would have given short odds on them coming top of the class in South Africa’s 2022 Cab Franc Challenge? Congrat’s to the team – more respected for their Chardonnay, Troika red blend

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How about that! There was wonderful bubbly pre Champagne

ANCESTRAL(E)… Oldest method of making sparkling wine, whereby the wine is bottled during the (single) fermentation process, before the completion of alcoholic fermentation. (Excerpt from Mini Wine Encyclopaedia on Top Wine SA) Less involved, a shorter route to bottling than Champagne (France), Cava (Spain) or Cap Classique (South Africa). No

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SA Viognier ranges from full frontal to restrained elegance

VIOGNIER. There’s a certain sexiness associated with this aromatic white grape, used to make some of the famous white wines of Condrieu in the northern Rhône, southern France, and planted elsewhere including Italy, Australia, New Zealand, California as well as South Africa. The variety is somewhat controversial, too. The origin

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SA Merlot selling pretty well but short on rave reviews

  A SOUTH AFRICAN wine producer got in touch to voice his discontent regarding the critics, the show judges, locally and internationally… How is it possible that Merlot makes such a high percentage of the red wine bought in this country yet there are not many brands that qualify for

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SA Merlot still muddling along in 2021 – according to Winemag Report

‘EXCELLENT’ Merlot they found, but not one of the Top 10 in Winemag’s 2021 Prescient Report was regarded as ‘outstanding’ – none rated higher than 92/100 by the panel comprising editor Christian Eedes (chair), merchant James Pietersen of Cape Town’s Wine Cellar and Ndabezinhle Dube, F&B manager at the President Hotel

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Plett producer does it again, this time in Winemag bubbly Report

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

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Semillon and Cabernet Franc the standouts in Winemag Minority Report

ACCORDING to Winemag’s 2020 Prescient Minority Report, the focus of the competition is on South African “wines from varieties whose respective total plantings do not exceed 2000ha… this is a chance for the more subordinate varieties to shine!” Catchy name, but talk about sticking your chin out! It wasn’t long

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