AS WINEMAG points out, there is no official definition for a ‘Cape White Blend’, but their proposal is that such wines, as opposed to the Bordeaux-style Semillon-and-Sauvignon-Blanc combos, can be made from any combination of varieties as long as they include a significant Chenin Blanc component, specifically more than 15% and less than 85%. Winemag editor Christian Eedes reasons that
IN YEAR ONE of the Covid-19 crisis, wine consumption internationally dropped by [just] 3%. “A Year of Resilience”, was how the director general of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) Pau Roca described 2020 at the OIV’s 2021 conference about the state of the world, viticulturally and viniculturally speaking. From the OIV’s headquarters in Paris, Roca reported
WOULDN’T it be something to see the luxury brands De Toren and 4G Wines slug it out in a head-to-head on auction, to test how seriously mature Meerlust Rubicon fares under the gavel against Kanonkop Paul Sauer of a similar age, or to get bidders to show which way they’re leaning these days when it comes to the sweets of
CONSTANTIA Fresh dinners rather than a bash on the lawn. A Chenin Blanc picnic in Stellenbosch instead of a party on the beach in Cape Town. Then some belated tastings of 2020 Veritas award winners, the first of them to take place in Paarl. But there’s more! A different kind of sparkling wine festival in Franschhoek, food and wine affairs
THERE WERE 83 entries received from 43 producers for Winemag’s 2021 Prescient Cap Classique Report. Seven of the Top 10 were 100% Chardonnay, including the most highly rated duo in the line-up from Môreson of Franschhoek (Miss Molly) and Newstead of Plettenberg Bay, both vintage 2015. In fact only one of the standouts was made using grapes other than the
STRAUSS & Co’s 2021 ‘Cape Heritage’ Fine Wine Auction focused on Chenin Blanc and Pinotage. The online sale also listed red and white blends, including a rare old beauty regarded as one of the benchmarks of yesteryear. For some the 1957 Chateau Libertas was the standout, fetching the highest price on the day of R17 588 for a single bottle
THERE WERE OVER 1200 wines from around the world gathered for assessment at Mondial du Sauvignon (Blanc) 2021 in Brussels, Belgium. The contest involved some 40 judges who deliberated for four days in choosing 127 gold medallists, nine of which went on to win trophies – three French wines, two Austrians, one New Zealander, an Italian, one from the
MÉTHODE CAP CLASSIQUE. Sparkling wine the traditional way. ‘Champagne’ from the Cape… It all started at Simonsig in Koelenhof, Stellenbosch – 50 years ago this year. Made from Chenin Blanc back in the day, nowadays primarily from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, some Pinot Meunier. Frans Malan’s Kaapse Vonkel was the first of its kind, a dry, bottle-fermented marvel at a
RAISING THE BAR, six members of the Pinotage Association have teamed up to launch a collection of their finest – new ‘Grand Pinotage’ wines that sell by the case only, a bottle from each producer, for R9000 a case! Who would have thought that Kanonkop could offer something more exclusive than their Black Label, that Beyerskloof would come up with
WHO ELSE among the top estates in South Africa would sometimes choose not to make their flagship wine, to skip a vintage in years when the quality or style isn’t quite as expected by the producer? At some wineries, when Mother Nature plays up or things go awry in the vineyard or cellar, they might try to explain it away
STRAUSS & CO kicked off their 2021 fine wine auction calendar by way of a ‘Rhône collection’, beginning with top South African producers such as Boschkloof, De Trafford, Hartenberg and Rust en Vrede of Stellenbosch as well as David & Nadia, Mullineux, Porseleinberg and Sadie of the Swartland, followed by famous benchmarks from French producers including Alain Graillot, Michel Chapoutier,
THE MENTORS wines have been marvelled at and admired ever since the launch of this premium tier by the KWV in Paarl over a decade ago. The most consistent stars in the range include Pinotage and red combos such as the Perold Cape Blend and the Bordeaux-style Orchestra, one of only 29 wines in South Africa’s Hall of Fame. Plus,
IT IS SAID that there’s no more appropriate wine to pour on Valentine’s Day than a pink one: roses and rosé for the love of your life! And particularly if it’s going to be a celebratory occasion, it should be something special, something with a bit of pop and fizz, something you can count on for an exciting touch! South
TEN YEARS AGO, the average price of the Top 10 Chenin Blancs according to the 2011 South African Wine Classification was R89 a bottle. Come February 2021 the figure stands at R303pb, with the industry’s annual general price increases due in March. Percentage wise, the other main varieties of SA vino haven’t appreciated in value to quite the same extent,
THERE ISN’T ANY Pinot Noir planted at Hemelzicht Vineyards right now, but give them time and the partners aim to be making “the best possible wines in the Hemel-en-Aarde” – the brains trust comprising members of the Newton Johnson family in the Upper reaches of the valley, entrepreneur and fellow local Cairo Howarth, together with wine merchant Roland Peens, director
GOING BY the reviews of multiple vintages of South African wines by panels of connoisseurs the world over during the past 10 years, the following are those with the Top 10 track records in each category according to the 2021 SA Wine Classification. Highlighted in bold are those that also topped the Classification back in 2011. Talk about consistency! Continuing
OF THE THOUSANDS of wines produced in South Africa, 725 qualified for inclusion in the 2021 SA Wine Classification on the basis of good reviews from the top panels over the past 10 years. The Classification showcases the Top 10 and Top 20 in each category as well as the Top 100 wines overall, with the standouts among these top-rated
A LONG LUNCH at a good table with a view of the wonderful Cape winelands has to be one of the best ways to spend an afternoon! Especially during the holiday season! The options are many and varied but, as 2020 draws to a close, four are more topical than most. In Somerset West, ‘Botanicum’ has taken over from 95
AMAZING ACHIEVEMENT! A Top 10 rating for every red and white that Tokara submitted for assessment in the various Winemag reports of 2020, with three of the bottlings judged best in their category: the 2017 Director’s Reserve (White Blend), the 2019 Reserve Chardonnay and the 2017 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon – the latter also getting the nod as Best Red Wine
THREE CHENINS recommended in the 2020 Uber Value SA wine guide are also to be found in the 2020 SA Wine Classification, which makes them particularly attractive! The thing is, over the past 10 years they’ve been greeted with good to very good reviews time and again, the latest top ratings and awards following a number of others for a
