The Platter Wine Guide Five Star selections for 2016 were announced tonight at an awards function at The Mount Nelson. 87 wines and spirits got the nod this year, up again on the previous year by almost 50%. A new system was used this year whereby tasters didn’t specifically nominate 5 Star wines, instead anything rated as 4.5 stars went into an intensive 2 day blind tasting session to find the top wines. This was meant to give more wines a fair crack of the whip and negate any preconceptions the sighted taster may have had about the wine and with a few new names appearing, it seems that this has succeeded.
Wines and Winery of the Year were awarded to:
White of Year = Warwick Wines The White Lady Chardonnay 2014
Red of Year = Mullineux & Leeu Iron Syrah 2013
Dessert Wine of Year = Mullineux & Leeu Olerasay Straw Wine
Winery of Year = Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines
Top performing categories were red and white blends – something not wholly-unexpected – followed by an extremely strong showing of Chardonnays with a fair amount of crossover between the Platter awards and the Prescient Chardonnay Report organised by WineMag and released yesterday.
Brandy Five star gongs were significantly down on last year but that is probably to be expected as new brandies aren’t released every year and many previously-awarded spirits are still selling.
I have to say I’m a little surprised at the number of unusual varieties gaining Five Stars, some from varieties perhaps not always considered top-notch around the world. Of course, with only very few people making these wines, it must have been almost impossible NOT to know which you were tasting which isn’t an ideal situation. I also cannot help wondering whether these wines have been rewarded merely because they are different, or because they really are amongst the best wines in the country – I hope the latter and look forward to tasting them at the event.
Congrats to multiple-award winners Delaire Graff, AA Badenhorst Family Wines, Spier, Newton Johnson, Haskell, Constantia Uitsig, David & Nadia Sadie, Cederberg, Boplaas, Nederburg and, of course Mullineux & Leeu for another outstanding performance with some seriously stellar wines. On a personal note, I am delighted to see Mvemve Raats in there again, as well as Ken Forrester’s Old Vine Reserve Chenin Blanc – it’s great to see wines under R100 succeeding at this level. Well done everyone and can’t wait to taste the wines!
The 2016 Platter 5-star wines are:
Cape Chamonix Wine Farm Cabernet Franc 2013
Delaire Graff Estate Laurence Graff Reserve 2012
Guardian Peak Wines Lapa Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Kleine Zalze Wines Vineyard Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
AA Badenhorst Family Wines Ramnasgras Cinsaut 2014
David & Nadia Sadie Grenache Noir 2014
Beeslaar Wines Pinotage 2013
Rijk’s Reserve Pinotage 2011
Spier 21 Gables Pinotage 2013
Windmeul Cellar Reserve Pinotage 2014
Bouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak Pinot Noir 2013
Newton Johnson VineyardsFamily Vineyards Pinot Noir 2014
Bellingham Bernard Series Basket Press Syrah 2013
Eagles’ Nest Shiraz 2012
Leeuwenkuil Family VineyardsHeritage Syrah 2013
Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines Iron Syrah 2013
Reyneke WinesSyrah 2013
Richard Kershaw Wine Clonal Selections Elgin Syrah 2013
AA Badenhorst Family WinesRed 2013
Delaire Graff Estate Botmaskop 2013
Ernie Els Wines CWG Auction Reserve 2013
Fleur du Cap Laszlo 2012
Haskell Vineyards Haskell IV 2010
Kaapzicht Wine Estate Steytler Vision 2012
Luddite Wines Saboteur 2012
Meerlust Estate Rubicon 2010
Miles Mossop Wines Max 2012
Mulderbosch Vineyards Faithful Hound 2013
Mvemve Raats MR de Compostella 2013
Nico van der Merwe Wines Mas Nicolas Cape 2013
Savage Wines CWG Auction Reserve Follow the Line 2013
Spier CWG Auction Reserve Frans K Smit 2011
The Winery of Good Hope Radford Dale Black Rock 2013
Vondeling Erica 2012
Vuurberg Reserve 2012
Buitenverwachting Chardonnay 2014
Dorrance Wines Chardonnay Cuvée Anaïs 2014
GlenWood Grand Duc Chardonnay 2013
Graham Beck Wines Lonehill Chardonnay 2014
Haskell Vineyards Anvil Chardonnay 2014
MVH Signature Wines Chardonnay 2014
Newton Johnson Vineyards Family Vineyards Chardonnay 2014
Paul Cluver Estate Wines Seven Flags Chardonnay 2014
Sterhuis Chardonnay Barrel Selection 2013
Sumaridge Wines Chardonnay 2013
Warwick Estate The White Lady Chardonnay 2014
Botanica Wines Mary Delany Chenin Blanc 2014
David & Nadia Sadie Hoë-Steen Chenin Blanc 2014
Eenzaamheid Chenin Blanc 2013
Kaapzicht Wine EstateThe 1947 Chenin Blanc 2014
Keermont VineyardsRiverside Chenin Blanc 2014
Ken Forrester Wines Old Vine Reserve Chenin Blanc 2014
Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines Granite Chenin Blanc 2014
Bellingham Bernard Series Whole Bunch Roussanne 2015
Cederberg Private Cellar David Nieuwoudt Ghost Corner Sauvignon Blanc 2014
Nederburg Wines The Young Airhawk 2014
Neil Ellis Wines Groenekloof Sauvignon Blanc 2015
Spier 21 Gables Sauvignon Blanc 2014
Constantia Uitsig Semillon 2014
Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines CWG Auction Reserve The Gris Semillon 2014
The Foundry Viognier 2014
Bloemendal Estate Kanonberg 2014
Cape Point Vineyards CWG Auction Reserve White 2014
Constantia Glen Two 2014
Constantia Uitsig Natura Vista 2014
David & Nadia Sadie Aristargos 2014
Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines White Blend 2014
Newton Johnson Vineyards Resonance 2014
Nitida Cellars Coronata Integration 2014
Oak Valley Wines Mountain Reserve White Blend 2011
Sadie Family Wines ‘T Voetpad 2014
Spier Creative Block 2 2014
Waterkloof Circle of Life White 2013
Anura Vineyards Méthode Cap Classique Brut 2011
Cederberg Private Cellar Blanc de Blancs Brut 2010
Miles Mossop Wines Kika Noble Late Harvest 2014
Nederburg Wines Winemaster’s Reserve Noble Late Harvest 2014
Klein Constantia Estate Vin de Constance 2011
Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines Olerasay Straw Wine NV
La Couronne Wines Muscadel NV
Boplaas Family Vineyards Heritage Reserve White Muscadel 2012
Boplaas Family Vineyards Cape Vintage Reserve 2012
De Krans Cape Vintage Reserve 2013
Dalla Cia Wine & Spirit Company 10 Year Old Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot Husk Spirit
KWV 10 Year Old Vintage
KWV Nexus
Van Ryn 15 Year Fine Cask Reserve