Platter’s South African Wine Guide has chosen 80 wines to be awarded the highest honour of five stars in this 34th edition of the guide – up from 62 in the last edition.
Five star wines are exceptional bottlings which are identified by the individual tasters and then also emerge from a second round of blind tasting, still with the judges’ highest rating.
Multiple 5 star wineries
Three producers (Cederberg Private Cellar, Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines and Nederburg Wines) garnered four 5 star ratings, one cellar (Newton Johnson Vineyards) amassed three 5 stars, and a further ten wineries (Cape Chamonix Wine Farm, DeMorgenzon, Fable Mountain Vineyards, Klein Constantia Estate, Kleine Zalze Wines, Sadie Family Wines, Stark-Condé Wines, Tokara, Reyneke Wines and KWV) each bagged two 5 stars.
First time 5 star wineries
Eleven wineries received 5 star ratings for the first time, namely Alvi’s Drift Private Cellar, Chateau Naudé Wine Creation, Eikendal Vineyards, Hilton Vineyards, Opstal Estate, Raats Family Wines, Richard Kershaw Wines, Sijnn, Silverthorn Wines, Spioenkop Wines and Windmeul Cooperative Cellar.
Of the 5 star awarded wines, the red and white which receive the most votes from the judging panel are named Platter’s Wines of the Year.
This time the Red Wine Of The Year is Newton Johnson Windansea Pinot Noir 2012 while the White Wine Of The Year is DeMorgenzon Maestro White 2012.
In an ongoing focus on value for money, Platter’s identifies a number of entry-level wines which are exceptionally drinkable and well priced.
The best of these, like the 5 star candidates, go into a second round of blind tasting to select the Superquaffer of the Year. The ultra-easy sipper of the year is Boland Kelder Five Climates Chenin Blanc 2013.
Platter’s prestigious Winery of the Year award is the editor’s personal selection the aim being to showcase a producer who epitomises the best of South African winegrowing today.
“The award is influenced by the results of the 5 star tasting,” says editor Philip van Zyl, “and this edition’s haul of four maximum ratings gives Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines (formerly Mullineux Family Wines) an astonishing 11 five stars to date, and places them firmly in the league of the greatest modern-era South African wineries. Warmest congratulations on an exceptional achievement.”
The five star wines and brandies for 2014 are:
Cabernet Franc
• Raats Family 2011
• Warwick 2010
Cabernet Sauvignon
• Boekenhoutskloof 2011
• Cederberg Five Generations 2011
• Ernie Els Proprietor’s 2011
• Neil Ellis Vineyard Selection 2010
• Stark-Condé Three Pines 2011
Pinotage
• Chateau Naudé Le Vin de François 2011
• Rijk’s Reserve 2009
• Spioenkop ‘1900’ 2012
Pinot Noir
• Newton Johnson Windansea 2012 (Red Wine of the Year)
• Newton Johnson Family Vineyards 2012
Shiraz/Syrah
• Cederberg CWG Auction Reserve Teen die Hoog 2011
• Eagles’ Nest 2010
• Fable Syrah 2011
• Hilton The Dalmatian 2010
• Mont Destin Destiny 2009
• Mullineux Family Schist Syrah 2011
• Mullineux Family Granite Syrah 2011
• Rust en Vrede Single Vineyard Syrah 2011
• Stark-Condé Three Pines Syrah 2011
• Saronsberg 2011
• Sijnn 2011
Red Blends
• Bouchard Finlayson Hannibal 2011
• Chamonix Troika 2011
• Delaire Graff Botmaskop 2011
• Eikendal Classique 2011
• Ken Forrester Three Halves 2009
• Thelema Rabelais 2009
• Windmeul Reserve Cape Blend 2012
Chardonnay
• Chamonix Reserve 2012
• Hamilton Russell 2012
• Newton Johnson Family Vineyards 2012
• Richard Kershaw Elgin Clonal Selection 2012
Chenin Blanc
• Alheit Radio Lazarus 2012
• Beaumont Hope Marguerite 2012
• Botanica Old Vine 2012
• DeMorgenzon Reserve 2012
• Jean Daneel Signature 2012
• Kleine Zalze Family Reserve 2012
• Mullineux Family Schist 2012
• Opstal Carl Everson 2012
• Reyneke 2012
• Sadie Family Skurfberg 2012
• Stellenrust 48 Barrel Fermented 2012
Grenache Blanc
• The Foundry 2012
• AA Badenhorst Family CWG Auction Reserve White Grenache Vuilgoed 3 2012
Roussanne
• Simonsig CWG Auction Reserve The Russety One 2012
Sauvignon Blanc
• Cederberg David Nieuwoudt Ghost Corner Wild Ferment 2012
• Klein Constantia Perdeblokke 2012
• Kleine Zalze Family Reserve 2012
• Mulderbosch 1000 Miles 2012
• Tokara Walker Bay 2013
Semillon
• Constantia Uitsig 2012
White Blends
• Cape Point Isliedh 2012
• Cederberg David Niewoudt Ghost Corner Bowline 2012
• David Aristargos 2012
• DeMorgenzon Maestro White 2012 (White Wine of the Year)
• Fable Jackal Bird 2012
• Fairview Nurok 2012
• Flagstone Treaty Tree Reserve 2011
• Nederburg Ingenuity 2012
• Nitida Coronata Integration 2012
• Rall 2012
• Reyneke Reserve White 2011
• Sadie Family Palladius 2011
• Tokara Director’s Reserve 2012
Méthode Cap Classique
• Klein Constantia Brut 2010
• Silverthorn The Green Man Blanc de Blancs 2010
Dessert Wine, Fortified
• Alvi’s Drift Muscat de Frontignan White 2010
Dessert Wine Unfortified
• Delheim Edelspatz Noble Late Harvest 2012
• Fleur du Cap Noble Late Harvest 2012
• KWV The Mentors Noble Late Harvest 2012
• Mullineux Family Straw Wine 2012
• Nederburg Eminence 2012
• Nederburg Edelkeur 2012
• Nederburg Winemaster’s Reserve Noble Late Harvest 2012
Port-Style
• Axe Hill Cape Vintage 2011
• De Krans Cape Vintage Reserve 2011
• KWV Cape Tawny NV
Brandy
• Boplaas Potstill 20 Years Brandy
• KWV 15 Year Old Alambic
• KWV 20 Year Old
• Oude Meester Souverein
• Van Ryn 12 Year Distillers Reserve
• Van Ryn 20 Year Collectors Reserve
• Van Ryn Au.Ra