HOW WAS THAT! A panel tasting report published in the UK's Decanter magazine focusing on South Africa's ‘Cape red blends' that include Pinotage in the mix makes no mention of the Pinotage Association‘s definition of a ‘Cape Blend' – nor that there are some wine producers who disagree with the association, arguing that a ‘Cape Blend' doesn't have to be Pinotage-driven. The Association would have it that the term should be reserved for combinations comprising between 30% and 70% Pinotage and that the Pinot Noir Cinsault cross should make up the largest percentage of the blend. Whereas the wines reviewed for the June 2025 issue of Decanter featured combos whose proportions of Pinotage range “from 97% to 10%”.
Two of the 43 blends in the line-up were rated 95/100 and described as ‘outstanding', namely the 2022 vintage of JJ Hand made Eight Pillars in the ArtiSons ‘project' of Stellenrust Wine Estate, Stellenbosch, and the 2022 vintage of Orpheus & The Raven No.42 from Cape Town. Second-favourites were two of the 13 wines described as ‘highly recommended' – the 2020 vintage of The Mentors Perold from KWV in Paarl and the 2020 Chronicle Cape Blend from Remhoogte in Stellenbosch, both of which were scored 92 points.
With 55% Shiraz, the Eight Pillars blend has just 7.8% Pinotage, Orpheus & The Raven No.42 includes 51% Pinotage and The Mentors Perold 40%, while Remhoogte's Chronicle Cape Blend includes a small percentage of Pinotage and is driven instead by Merlot (45%). Other highly recommended red blends scored 91 or 90 were: Babylonstoren Babel 2022, Bellevue Atticus Cape Blend 2023, Beyerskloof Faith 2022, Billy Bosch Reserve Pinotage Shiraz 2023, DashBosch The Gift Pinotage Shiraz Petit Verdot 2022, Idiom Cape Blend 2022, Kanonkop Kadette Cape Blend 2022, L'Avenir Provenance Stellenbosch Classic 2020, Maanschijn Herbarium 2023, Stellenbosch Hills Suikerboschrand 2017 and Swartland Winery Idelia Cape Blend 2022.
On the tasting panel: Andy Howard, Master of wine and regional chair at the Decanter World Wine Awards; Roger Jones, wine writer and judge at the Decanter Awards; and Jason Millar, wine writer and Wine & Spirit Education Trust Diploma graduate.
