Writers nominate their best SA wines
By 2011-3-30 9:02:18
Grape, South Africa’s independent viewpoint (www.grape.co.za), recently invited a group of nine local writers, retailers and sommeliers to select South Africa’s best 100 wines.
To make selections easier, nominations were unconditional; there was no requirement to list vintages, select only one wine from any producer or rank the wines. This left the top 100 as the top 108, the placing that rounded off nominations by three judges.
Among the interesting statistics is that 10 wines received the nod from all nine judges; these are listed separately below, as well as being included in the list of 108 (see below for full list).
South Africa’s white wines regularly receive more praise than their reds, but in this poll, reds received more votes: 53 versus 43 for whites.
There were also three Méthode Cap Classiques sparkling wines, five dessert wines and four fortifieds from recognised producers of these styles.
The nine judges had between 700 – 800 producers, and over 6000 wines, to select from. From those, 73 producers were nominated for the selection of the 108 wines, a figure which reveal a good deal of consensus among this small group with their fingers on the pulse of the South African wine industry.
Not all the nominations feature the flagship wines; for instance, Kleine Zalze Bush Vines Chenin Blanc is part of the value-for-money Cellar Selection, although it is frequently awarded alongside much more ambitious Chenin Blancs.
Whenever a list of this nature is compiled, there are some names that are always mentioned: Boekenhoutskloof, Cape Point Vineyards, Kanonkop, Sadie, Thelema, Vergelegen and for Klein Constantia, Vin de Constance. Each have wines nominated by all nine judges, a reflection of their credible First Growth status.
Wines receiving the vote of each of the nine judges were (alphabetically listed):
• Beaumont Hope Marguerite Chenin Blanc
• Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon
• Cape Point Vineyards Isliedh
• Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay
• Kanonkop Paul Sauer
• Klein Constantia Vin de Constance
• Sadie Columella
• Steenberg Magna Carta
• Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon
• Vergelegen White
Judges: Christian Eedes (wine writer), Michael Fridjhon (wine writer, consultant), Angela Lloyd (wine writer), Tim James (wine writer), Melvyn Minnaar (wine writer), Ingrid Motteux (consultant), Roland Peens (retailer), Jorg Pfuetzner (sommelier, consultant), and James Pietersen (sommelier).
The link to the Grape article is http://www.grape.co.za/users/angela_lloyd/blog/2011-03-21-top_100.html.
For further information, contact Angela Lloyd – alloyd@iafrica.com
The Top 108 wines receiving three or more votes from the judges (listed alphabetically):
Ashbourne Ashbourne
Ashbourne Sandstone
Ataraxia Chardonnay
Badenhorst Family Wines White Blend
Beaumont Hope Marguerite Chenin Blanc
Bein Merlot
Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage
Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon
Boekenhoutskloof Semillon
Boekenhoutskloof Syrah
Boplaas Cape Vintage Reserve
Bouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak Pinot Noir
Bouchard Finlayson Missionvale Chardonnay
Buitenverwachting Christine
Chamonix Chardonnay Reserve
Chamonix Greywacke Pinotage
Chamonix Pinot Noir Reserve
Cape Point Vineyards Isliedh
Cape Point Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Reserve
Constantia Glen 5
Constantia Uitsig Semillon
Crystallum Cuvée Cinema Pinot Noir
De Krans Cape Vintage Reserve
De Toren Fusion V
De Trafford Chenin Blanc
De Trafford Elevation 393
De Trafford Shiraz
Diemersdal Eight Rows Sauvignon Blanc
Eagles’ Nest Syrah
Eagles’ Nest Viognier
Ernie Els Signature
Fleur du Cap Noble Late Harvest
Graham Beck Blanc de Blancs
Graham Beck Cuvée Clive MCC
Graham Beck Pheasant’s Run Sauvignon Blanc
Grangehurst Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
Hamilton Russell Chardonnay
Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir
Hartenberg Gravel Hill Shiraz
Hartenberg The Mackenzie
Haskell Pillars Syrah
Hermanuspietersfontein Die Bartho
Iona Sauvignon Blanc
Jean Daneel Signature Chenin Blanc
Jordan Nine Yards Chardonnay
JP Bredell Cape Vintage Reserve
Kanonkop Black Label Pinotage
Kanonkop Cabernet Sauvignon
Kanonkop Paul Sauer
Kanonkop Pinotage
Klein Constantia Perdeblokke Sauvignon Blanc
Klein Constantia Vin de Constance
Kleine Zalze Bush Vine Chenin Blanc
Lammershoek Roulette Blanc
Le Riche Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
Luddite Shiraz
Meerlust Rubicon
Miles Mossop Saskia
Morgenster Morgenster
Mulderbosch Barrel Fermented Chardonnay
Mullineux Family White Blend
Mullineux Family Syrah
Nederburg Edelkeur
Nederburg Ingenuity White
Nederburg Noble Late Harvest
Neil Ellis Grenache
Neil Ellis Groenekloof Sauvignon Blanc
Newton Johnson Domaine Pinot Noir
Nuy White Muscadel
Oak Valley Sauvignon Blanc
Paul Cluver Chardonnay
Paul Cluver Noble Late Harvest
Paul Cluver Seven Flags Pinot Noir
Quoin Rock Syrah
Quoin Rock The Nicobar
Raats Cabernet Franc
Reyneke Reserve Red
Reyneke Reserve white
Rupert & Rothschild Baron Edmund
Rust en Vrede Estate Wine
Rustenberg Five Soldiers Chardonnay
Rustenberg John X Merriman
Rustenberg Peter Barlow
Sadie Family Columella
Sadie Family Palladius
Scali Blanc
Sequillo White
Shannon Mount Bullet
Simonsig Redhill Pinotage
Spice Route Malabar
Springfield Méthode Ancienne Chardonnay
Stark Condé Three Pines Cabernet Sauvignon
Steenberg Magna Carta
Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc Reserve
Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon
Thelema Merlot Reserve
Tokara Director’s Reserve White
Tokara Director’s Reserve Red
Uva Mira Chardonnay
Vergelegen Red
Vergelegen White
Vergelegen Sauvignon Blanc Reserve
Vilafonté Series C
Villiera Monro Brut
Warwick Trilogy
Waterford Cabernet Sauvignon
Waterford The Jem
Waterkloof Sauvignon Blanc
To make selections easier, nominations were unconditional; there was no requirement to list vintages, select only one wine from any producer or rank the wines. This left the top 100 as the top 108, the placing that rounded off nominations by three judges.
Among the interesting statistics is that 10 wines received the nod from all nine judges; these are listed separately below, as well as being included in the list of 108 (see below for full list).
South Africa’s white wines regularly receive more praise than their reds, but in this poll, reds received more votes: 53 versus 43 for whites.
There were also three Méthode Cap Classiques sparkling wines, five dessert wines and four fortifieds from recognised producers of these styles.
The nine judges had between 700 – 800 producers, and over 6000 wines, to select from. From those, 73 producers were nominated for the selection of the 108 wines, a figure which reveal a good deal of consensus among this small group with their fingers on the pulse of the South African wine industry.
Not all the nominations feature the flagship wines; for instance, Kleine Zalze Bush Vines Chenin Blanc is part of the value-for-money Cellar Selection, although it is frequently awarded alongside much more ambitious Chenin Blancs.
Whenever a list of this nature is compiled, there are some names that are always mentioned: Boekenhoutskloof, Cape Point Vineyards, Kanonkop, Sadie, Thelema, Vergelegen and for Klein Constantia, Vin de Constance. Each have wines nominated by all nine judges, a reflection of their credible First Growth status.
Wines receiving the vote of each of the nine judges were (alphabetically listed):
• Beaumont Hope Marguerite Chenin Blanc
• Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon
• Cape Point Vineyards Isliedh
• Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay
• Kanonkop Paul Sauer
• Klein Constantia Vin de Constance
• Sadie Columella
• Steenberg Magna Carta
• Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon
• Vergelegen White
Judges: Christian Eedes (wine writer), Michael Fridjhon (wine writer, consultant), Angela Lloyd (wine writer), Tim James (wine writer), Melvyn Minnaar (wine writer), Ingrid Motteux (consultant), Roland Peens (retailer), Jorg Pfuetzner (sommelier, consultant), and James Pietersen (sommelier).
The link to the Grape article is http://www.grape.co.za/users/angela_lloyd/blog/2011-03-21-top_100.html.
For further information, contact Angela Lloyd – alloyd@iafrica.com
The Top 108 wines receiving three or more votes from the judges (listed alphabetically):
Ashbourne Ashbourne
Ashbourne Sandstone
Ataraxia Chardonnay
Badenhorst Family Wines White Blend
Beaumont Hope Marguerite Chenin Blanc
Bein Merlot
Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage
Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon
Boekenhoutskloof Semillon
Boekenhoutskloof Syrah
Boplaas Cape Vintage Reserve
Bouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak Pinot Noir
Bouchard Finlayson Missionvale Chardonnay
Buitenverwachting Christine
Chamonix Chardonnay Reserve
Chamonix Greywacke Pinotage
Chamonix Pinot Noir Reserve
Cape Point Vineyards Isliedh
Cape Point Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Reserve
Constantia Glen 5
Constantia Uitsig Semillon
Crystallum Cuvée Cinema Pinot Noir
De Krans Cape Vintage Reserve
De Toren Fusion V
De Trafford Chenin Blanc
De Trafford Elevation 393
De Trafford Shiraz
Diemersdal Eight Rows Sauvignon Blanc
Eagles’ Nest Syrah
Eagles’ Nest Viognier
Ernie Els Signature
Fleur du Cap Noble Late Harvest
Graham Beck Blanc de Blancs
Graham Beck Cuvée Clive MCC
Graham Beck Pheasant’s Run Sauvignon Blanc
Grangehurst Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
Hamilton Russell Chardonnay
Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir
Hartenberg Gravel Hill Shiraz
Hartenberg The Mackenzie
Haskell Pillars Syrah
Hermanuspietersfontein Die Bartho
Iona Sauvignon Blanc
Jean Daneel Signature Chenin Blanc
Jordan Nine Yards Chardonnay
JP Bredell Cape Vintage Reserve
Kanonkop Black Label Pinotage
Kanonkop Cabernet Sauvignon
Kanonkop Paul Sauer
Kanonkop Pinotage
Klein Constantia Perdeblokke Sauvignon Blanc
Klein Constantia Vin de Constance
Kleine Zalze Bush Vine Chenin Blanc
Lammershoek Roulette Blanc
Le Riche Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
Luddite Shiraz
Meerlust Rubicon
Miles Mossop Saskia
Morgenster Morgenster
Mulderbosch Barrel Fermented Chardonnay
Mullineux Family White Blend
Mullineux Family Syrah
Nederburg Edelkeur
Nederburg Ingenuity White
Nederburg Noble Late Harvest
Neil Ellis Grenache
Neil Ellis Groenekloof Sauvignon Blanc
Newton Johnson Domaine Pinot Noir
Nuy White Muscadel
Oak Valley Sauvignon Blanc
Paul Cluver Chardonnay
Paul Cluver Noble Late Harvest
Paul Cluver Seven Flags Pinot Noir
Quoin Rock Syrah
Quoin Rock The Nicobar
Raats Cabernet Franc
Reyneke Reserve Red
Reyneke Reserve white
Rupert & Rothschild Baron Edmund
Rust en Vrede Estate Wine
Rustenberg Five Soldiers Chardonnay
Rustenberg John X Merriman
Rustenberg Peter Barlow
Sadie Family Columella
Sadie Family Palladius
Scali Blanc
Sequillo White
Shannon Mount Bullet
Simonsig Redhill Pinotage
Spice Route Malabar
Springfield Méthode Ancienne Chardonnay
Stark Condé Three Pines Cabernet Sauvignon
Steenberg Magna Carta
Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc Reserve
Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon
Thelema Merlot Reserve
Tokara Director’s Reserve White
Tokara Director’s Reserve Red
Uva Mira Chardonnay
Vergelegen Red
Vergelegen White
Vergelegen Sauvignon Blanc Reserve
Vilafonté Series C
Villiera Monro Brut
Warwick Trilogy
Waterford Cabernet Sauvignon
Waterford The Jem
Waterkloof Sauvignon Blanc
From www.tizwine.com