Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show
20. May 2010
Achieving an Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show medal is considered a significant accolade by the local wine industry thanks to the intense scrutiny that each of the wine entry is subjected to.
All wines – usually entries total in the region of 1 000 wines – are judged ‘blind’ by a panel of reputed international and local judges, who are committed to revealing the best wines of the year for the benefit of the South African wine consumer.
Trophy selected Winners:
- Tokara – Fairbairn Capital Trophy for Most Successful Producer
- Eagles’ Nest Shiraz 2008 – British Airways Comair Trophy for Best Shiraz & Old Mutual Trophy for Best Red Wine Overall
- Flagstone Word of Mouth 2008 – Best Viognier & Old Mutual Trophy for Best White Wine Overall
- Pulpit Rock Reserve Chardonnay 2008 – Old Mutual Trophy for Discovery of the Show (Best Value)
- Anura Brut 2008 – Best Sparkling Wine
- Kaapzicht Steytler Vision 2006 – Best Pinotage-based Red Blend
South Africa’s top terroir wines
23 July 2010 by SA Terroir Wine Awards
After a record 239 entries for the fifth annual SA Terroir Wine Awards, three wine estates stood out with two National Certificate winners each, Kaapzicht, Wildekrans and Klein Constantia.
Kaapzicht in the Bottelary ward was the top performer with the two national winners
- Steytler Vision 2007 for Top Red Blend
- Kaapzicht Merlot 2007 for Top Merlot
as well as two top wines in the Stellenbosch district
- Steytler Pinotage 2007
- Kaapzicht Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
Other National Certificate winners:
- Top Chenin Blanc the Wildekrans Chenin Blanc Barrel Select 2009
- Top Sparkling Wine, the Wildekrans Chenin MCC 2008
South Africa’s wineland is a world of wine on its own.
In the past five years the entries for SA Terroir Wine Awards have grown from 151 to 239, which is relatively high if you consider the strict wine of origin rules that are applied to truly make this competition an expression of our top terroir wines.
It is a great pity that there are certain districts that do not have many wards and therefore less wineries can participate, but we cannot be lenient.
Only wines certified as a single vineyard wine, estate produced wine or from a specific ward can participate, and in the judging only quality counts.
Two SA Champions for Boplaas 
Boplaas received two SA Champion Trophies at the SA Young Wine Show held at the Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset West recently.
The SA Champion Sauvignon Blanc was produced from coastal vineyards and will be bottled under the Cool Bay Reserve label. Boplaas also produced the SA Champion Sauvignon Blanc in 2009.
Boplaas also received the SA Champion trophy for Port entered in the Vintage class. Boplaas made the SA Champion Port in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
The Boplaas Cape Vintage Reserve 2005, 2006 and 2007 all received 5 stars in Platter.
Carel and Margaux Nel, the father and daughter team, are very excited about the Sauvignon Blanc.
Great care had been taken with the transport of the grapes and handling in the cellar.
The Ports from Boplaas received several accolades this year, including a Platter 5 star (2010 edition), Port of the year for 2010 at SAA, best Vintage, Ruby and Museum Port at the Port Challenge and 5 star in Wine Magazine for the 2006 Cape Vintage Reserve Port.
Triple crowned Port from Boplaas loved by Portuguese Port Makers
Carel and Margaux Nel the father and daughter winemaking team from Boplaas visited the Douro Valley recently during the harvest.
One of the samples they took along was the Boplaas Cape Vintage Reserve Port 2006. The 2006 was made from low yielding Touriga Nacional, Tinta Barocca and Souzoa grapes. This stunning Port got a Veritas Double Gold medal, a Platter 5 star award and the only Vintage Port to get a 5 star rating in Wine Magazine this year.
Boplaas also made the SA Champion Port at the SA Young Wine Show in 2006.
The Nel team stayed with the Symingtons at Quinta Bomfim and tasted old Vintage Ports every night. Both Peter Symington and Dirk Niepoort was amazed with the deep black colour and the fruit intensity of the 2006 Boplaas Reserve.
Boplaas strikes gold at Veritas again
Boplaas Family Vineyards from Calitzdorp has proven its track record for producing the finest Cape Ports.
At Friday 8 October glittering Veritas 2010 ceremony – South Africa’s largest wine competition.
Boplaas was awarded two Double Gold and one Gold medal. Boplaas was once again under the top producers in the country, and at Veritas 2009 Boplaas was the best performing private cellar in the country.
The two Double Gold medals were awarded to the Boplaas Cape Vintage Reserve Port 2006 and the Boplaas Cape Tawny Port N/V; while the Gold medal went to the Boplaas Cape Vintage Reserve Port 2008.
The Boplaas Cape Vintage Reserve Port 2006 was also awarded 5 Stars from Platter’s Wine Guide, and WINE magazine awarded the ultimate accolade of 5 Stars to this Port in June this year.
The Boplaas Cape Tawny Port N/V continues its impressive track record by been awarded “SAA Port of the Year” for the 4th consecutive year.
South Africa’s top Sauvignon Blancs
Published: 20.10.2010
The fourth annual Wine Magazine Sauvignon Blanc Top 10 competition attracted 230 entries, up from 226 last year and 186 the year before.
Examine the results and once again there can be little dispute that this is currently South Africa’s strongest category.
There was one wine rated 5 Stars (compared to three in 2009), a further seven 4½ Stars (13 in 2009) and 29 4 Stars (33 in 2009).
The consensus was that 2009 was a stand-out vintage but 2010 hardly disappoints, eight of the top 10 being from this harvest.
The panel was at pains to reward different styles but it does seem as if Darling, Durbanville and Elim are now out in front when it comes to producing the country’s best-quality Sauvignon Blanc grapes
What was again pleasing to see is that the best wines are not excessively methoxypyrazine driven (the compound responsible for Sauvignon Blanc’s grassy or herbeaceous character) but showed good fruit expression and were wellbalanced thanks to grapes picked at optimal ripeness.
There were one or two examples where the producer was attempting a super-ripe style, but these usually came across as heavy-handed and ungainly and were not rewarded.
Another stylistic trend in evidence was the use of oak. A deft approach to barrel maturation can certainly add greater weight to the mid-palate but the panel was not in favour of wines that showed overt wood-derived aromas and flavours.
A particular point of controversy was the issue of volatile sulphur compounds, specifically mercaptans. Mercaptans are formed by yeast reacting with sulphur in the lees after the primary alcoholic fermentation and resulting aromas can include anything from the pleasant (grapefruit, blackcurrant) to highly disagreeable (sweaty, cabbage-like).
The panel was divided as to how much of this character to tolerate.
Sauvignon Blanc is now easily the biggest category of wines that the Wine Magazine panel judges from year to year, and the observation was made that the success of the category has been driven by basic economics.
If the producer gets it right, it’s a real money-spinner; if he gets it wrong, it’s going to be a pretty slow mover as consumers have a plethora of alternatives.
This means that serious attention is being applied across the board resulting in a very high overall level of quality.
THE TOP 10 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 
Anura Unfiltered Reserve 2010
Intensely herbaceous on the nose. The palate is focused and pure with flavours of lime and green pepper. Excellent line of acidity. Drink now – 2013.