IT'S SURPRISING to find neither Kanonkop nor Rijk's among the winners of an Absa Top 10 – such are their good track records in this competition held by the Pinotage Association. You might say the same about Beeslaar, who, like Kanonkop, was among the runners-up in the 2025 edition. However, producers of other benchmark wines from this variety judged to be among the Top 10 yet again included Beyerskloof, Diemersdal, Flagstone, KWV and Wellington Wines – the latter's achievement perhaps the most impressive of all in this context.
Wellington Wines represents 60 farmers, some of whom have properties in Paarl and the Swartland to the south and north-west of Wellington respectively. Their most highly regarded reds and whites tend to be those from their premium La Cave range, but in the Pinotage centenary year their value-for-money Duke range earned more glowing reviews – the 2023 Duke Merlot finishing among the Top 10 in the annual competition run by the South African Merlot Forum and the 2024 Duke Pinotage excelling among the Absa Top 10, both priced at R80 a bottle at the winery! From the winemakers tasting notes about the 2024 Duke Pinotage: dense ruby red, intense, the nose layered, offering notes of raspberry, cherry, blueberry and ripe purple plum, backed by hints of spice, earthy undertones and a gentle touch of oak; the palate is soft and juicy, with plush red and purple fruit, fine ripe tannins, a mouth-coating grip; finishes dry with lingering flavours of cherry and subtle spice.
There were 120 entries from 68 wine producers in the 2025 Top 10 Pinotage Competition. On the panel: Cape Wine Master Winnie Bowman (convenor), Meerlust tasting room manager Heidi Kritzinger, chief executive of Klawer Cellars Andries Blake, winemaker Guy Webber and Beyers Truter, proprietor of Beyerskloof and chairman of the Pinotage Association.
Alvi's Drift Verreaux Pinotage 2023
R650pb ex-cellar, Scherpenheuwel-Worcester
Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage 2021
R1100pb ex-cellar, Stellenbosch
Bruce Jack Flag of Truth Pinotage 2022
R573pb ex-cellar, Napier
Diemersdal Journal Pinotage 2022
R390pb ex-cellar, Durbanville
Flagstone Writer's Block Pinotage 2022
R395pb ex-cellar, Somerset West / Strand
Grand Vin de Stellenbosch Pinotage 2022
R325pb ex-Le Grand cellar, Devon Valley-Stellenbosch
KWV Mentors Pinotage 2022
R349pb ex-cellar, Paarl
Simonsig Redhill Pinotage 2022
R600pb ex-cellar, Koelenhof-Stellenbosch
Warwick Black Lady 2023
R600pb ex-cellar, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
Wellington Wines Duke Pinotage 2024
R80pb ex-cellar, Wellington
2 Responses
Very surprising indeed.
Good line-up nevertheless.