THE 2023 vintage of Riebeek Cellars Pinotage Rosé was judged the overall winner in the 2023 edition of Rosé Rocks, a competition focused on South Africa’s ‘pink’ wines – Rosé and Blanc de Noir, still and sparkling, sweet and dry. Unfortunately, the conveners don’t divulge the Top 3, Top 6, Top 10 or Top 12, and we aren’t given the
Read more“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 producers submitted for the 2022 Prescient Shiraz Report. Also on
Read moreIT WAS JUST a matter of time, some would say. The Benguela Cove estate alongside the Bot River Lagoon on the road to Hermanus has been on many a wine lover’s radar since entrepreneur Penny Streeter and her family began investing in the area and particularly after cellarmaster Johann Fourie came on board five years ago. Their success at the
Read more“SOUTH AFRICAN Syrah can no longer be neatly pigeonholed,” says Winemag editor Christian Eedes in the 2021 Prescient Shiraz Report. “Expect everything from delicate, very fine, to ultra-glossy, rich wines – and the Shiraz/Syrah distinction is no longer really a clue to what’s inside the bottle.” There were 96 entries from 75 producers located in various areas of the Cape
Read moreBEST GRAPES in Stellenbosch, matured in small oak barrels, focus on detail. That’s the short story about this “handcrafted masterpiece” in a heavyweight bottle from Stellenview of Devon Valley, Stellenbosch: Kruger Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, the judges’ favourite red at the 2019 Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show. A longer version of how it came about tells of a
Read moreA MULDERBOSCH single-vineyard Chenin and a reserve Cabernet from Stellenview were the top-scoring white and red wines at the 2019 Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show. However, the trophy for most successful producer overall went to Painted Wolf Wines of Paarl and that for ‘Discovery of the Show’ to Bonnievale Wines for a Cab of gold medal standard that sells for
Read moreTHERE were 207 entries in the 2019 Shiraz SA Challenge, including 36 Shiraz-driven blends. The judges were Cape Wine Masters Andy Roediger (panel chair) and Elsie Pells, cellarmasters Charles Hopkins (De Grendel) and Edmund Terblanche (La Motte), wine writer/brand manager Samarie Smith (Benguela Cove), international judge Claus Fischer of Germany (Mundus Vini), wine consultant Jeanne-Mari de Villiers (VinJeanne) and Cape
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