HOW ABOUT THAT! First, that the Pinotage Association put the Grand Pinotage “project” to the test in a blind tasting of the 2019 vintage conducted by Gilbert & Gaillard, based in France. Second, that one of the wines involved rated higher than any Pinotage has done before at a G&G panel tasting – 97 points on their 100-point scale. And third, that the top-scoring wine was from AdVini's L'Avenir estate in Stellenbosch.
The Gilbert & Gaillard International Challenge dates back to 1991, founded in France but now established in 22 countries and with offices also in Spain, Italy, South Africa, Argentina and Hong Kong. Unlike most other wine competitions, G&G panel tastings are conducted throughout the year, and at the time of writing, in 2025 to date, 30 Pinotages had been rated high enough to warrant a medal at the Challenge with scores ranging from 83 to 97 points. Prior to 2025, the most highly rated expressions of the variety according to the G&G “tasting committee” were the Kanonkop Pinotage 2015 and the KWV Mentors Pinotage 2019, both scored 95 points.
The Pinotage Association's Grand Pinotage project involves “A curated case of six wines featuring the past decades’ most prestigious producers truly emblematic of South Africa’s legacy.” Only 500 cases per vintage, 2018 having been the maiden vintage, launched in 2021 and now sold out, with the 2019 vintage released at R9500 per case. For the 2025 ranking of these wines by Gilbert & Gaillard, see below – Rijk's of Tulbagh the only cellar outside Stellenbosch:
97 – L'Avenir Grand Pinotage 2019
95 – Beyerskloof Grand Pinotage 2019
95 – Kanonkop Grand Pinotage 2019
93 – Kaapzicht Grand Pinotage 2019
92 – Rijk's Grand Pinotage 2019
92 – Simonsig Grand Pinotage 2019