BASED ON THE BEST track records in 28 local and international forums for the assessment of wine quality and interest value over the past 10 years, the South African Wine & Cellar Classifications celebrate the country’s leading outfits – those who are regularly on top form, their product judged top-notch again and again, year after year. To be eligible for
Read moreFor ALL of the top-rated, most highly awarded South African wines of the year according to the most authoritative panels of experts locally and internationally, see here. Showcased below are 20 of the Cape’s world-class wines that were particularly well received around the globe in 2016: Bellingham The Bernard Series Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2015 5 Stars in Platter’s SA Wine Guide, trophy
Read morePERHAPS THE most surprising inclusion among the 20 finalists in the run-up to the 2016 Absa Top 10 Pinotage awards is Oupa Bull Reserve 2015. Paarl visitors might have come across the humble farm De Zoete Inval where fifth-generation winemaker John Robert Frater and the team replanted in 2005 and feel that the vines are “now old enough to realise their
Read moreTHE WINNING wines in South Africa’s 2015 FNB Sauvignon Blanc Top 10 competition do not include any that were made at cellars in Darling, Durbanville, Cape Agulhas or the Cape Peninsula – some of the areas renowned for quality, interesting wines in this class. However they do include the Cederberg Private Cellar and Stellenbosch stalwarts Kleine Zalze and Tokara (using Elgin grapes) and Nederburg of Paarl
Read moreWHEN a group of Stellenbosch (and Somerset West) wine producers collaborated to present a line-up of 20 Cabernet Sauvignons to media and industry folk on the occasion of the Cape Wine 2015 trade show, it was to be expected that Thelema would count among the beauties included in a tasting billed as the ‘Kingdom of Cabernet’. The Webb family’s Thelema Mountain
Read moreNO SIMONSIG, no Beyerskloof, no Diemersfontein, no Kaapzicht and/but… There are some familiar names plus a bunch of respectable newcomers among the 20 finalists in the 2015 Absa Top 10 Pinotage competition of which the winners are due to be announced on Friday, August 28. The biggest head-turner among the Top 20 chosen from over 150 entries in the Pinotage (Producers) Association’s taste-off this
Read moreTHERE WERE 202 entries in the latest Challenge staged by Shiraz SA – 162 single-varietal wines and 40 Shiraz-based blends. TOP 12 SINGLE-VARIETAL WINES IN SHIRAZ SA CHALLENGE 2015 Bellingham The Bernard Series Basket Press Syrah 2013 – Franschhoek Cederberg Shiraz 2013 Christina van Loveren Shiraz 2013 – Robertson Driehoek Shiraz 2012 – Cederberg Eagles’ Nest Shiraz 2012 – Constantia Fairview
Read moreBASED ON THE best track records in 26 local and international blind-tasting forums over the past 10 years, the South African Wine & Cellar Classifications celebrate the country’s leading outfits – those who are regularly on top form, their product judged top-notch again and again, year after year. To be eligible for the Classification, updated annually since 2004, a wine must
Read moreTHERE’S BEEN much talk again of late about the Top 100 SA Wines and The Cape’s Top 20 Wineries of 2014 – the chatter about South Africa’s Top 100 wines prompted by a selection of various vintages of various types of wine based on the outcome of a local challenge involving some 490 competition entries, and the debate as to the country’s
Read moreALL OF THE South African wines below are included in the latest SA Chardonnay Classification, with those having the very best track records highlighted and the listing limited to wines whose accolades include very good reviews in 2013/14. Prices are for the latest releases/vintages to be rated – rands per standard 750ml bottle and ex-cellar in most instances (approximate retail
Read moreTHE TULBAGH WINES with the best track records over the past 10 years stand out as follows – all regular recipients of good reviews by top judges internationally: TOP REDS PINOTAGE – Rijk’s, Manley, Klein Tulbagh SHIRAZ – Saronsberg, Rijk’s, Saronsberg Provenance RED BLENDS – Saronsberg Full Circle, Saronsberg Seismic, Saronsberg Provenance Rooi TOP WHITES CHENIN BLANC – Rijk’s VIOGNIER – Saronsberg WHITE BLEND – Fable
Read moreTHE NICOBAR Sauvignon Blanc has been notable from day one. Unique about the maiden 2007 vintage was that the grapes came from Quoin Rock’s farm in the Cape Agulhas district – the subsequent releases being WO Simonsberg-Stellenbosch. And what made its success all the more remarkable was that it’s been achieved despite (or because of) being so unusual or atypical
Read moreSOUTH AFRICA’S 2014 Wine & Cellar Classifications based on the best track records in 25 local and international blind-tasting forums over the past 10 years feature eight new inclusions among the Top 100 Cellars: De Morgenzon, Laborie Wine Estate, Newton Johnson Family Vineyards, Nitida Cellars, Quoin Rock Winery, Rall Wines, Reyneke Wines and Van Loveren. However the majority of the
Read moreNOTABLE ABSENTEES among the laureates in the latest shoot-out organised by South Africa’s Pinotage Association include Beyerskloof, DeWaal, Spier and Stellenzicht… Familiar faces at the podium this year included Anura, Fairview, Kanonkop, KWV, L’Avenir, Lyngrove, Môreson, Rijk’s, Simonsig and Windmeul… And the surprise newcomer among the Top 10 was Black Elephant Vintners, a Franschhoek producer making its debut with a wine called
Read moreFOLLOWING the recent announcement of South Africa’s benchmarks in terms of the latest SA Wine Classification and with the full 2013 Classifications carried on the Top Wine SA website, here are the highlights of the 2013 SA Cellar Classification – see below, given in alphabetical order. TOP 20 SA WHITE WINE CELLARS – 2013 CLASSIFICATION Bergkelder (Fleur du Cap) Cape Point
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