To
be eligible for the Classification, updated annually since 2004, a wine must
have been made in South Africa and must have earned very good reviews from at
least one of the top judging panels for at least three vintages during the
10-year period under review – between 2005 and 2014 (inclusive) for the 2015 Classification.
The critics include experts appointed for the Trophy Wine Show and Veritas
Awards, Platter's wine guide (5 Stars and Highly Recommended), the Michelangelo
awards, the Six Nations Challenge, Decanter, the International Wine Challenge
and IWSC – to mention just some of the 26 panels – and it is the number of
top-rated vintages as well as the type of accolades that determine Top 10 and Top
20 status among South Africa's most fancied wines in terms of the
Classification.
Included
among those producers joining the ranks of the Top 100 SA Wine Cellars Overall
are Delaire Graff, Hidden Valley and Shannon, while climbing into the Top 20 of
the SA Red Wine Cellar Classification this year are Hartenberg, La Motte,
Stark-Condé and Windmeul.
Newcomers
in the Top Wine SA Hall of Fame – showcasing wines that have received very good
ratings for eight or more vintages over the past 10 years – include Beaumont
Hope Marguerite (Chenin), Bouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak Pinot Noir, Cederberg
Five Generations Cabernet Sauvignon, Cirrus Syrah, Guardian Peak Lapa Cabernet
Sauvignon, Hartenberg The Stork Shiraz, Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Sauvignon
Blanc, Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Shiraz, La Motte Pierneef Collection Shiraz
Viognier, Miles Mossop Saskia (White Blend), Morgenster (Red Blend), Nederburg
Private Bin D234 Sauvignon Blanc, Nederburg Private Bin Eminence Noble Late
Harvest Muscadel, Neethlingshof Maria Noble Late Harvest, Steenberg The Black
Swan (Reserve) Sauvignon Blanc, Tokara Reserve Collection Stellenbosch
Chardonnay, Uva Mira The Single Tree (Single Vineyard) Chardonnay and Windmeul
Pinotage Reserve.
Highlights of the 2015 SA Wine &
Cellar Classifications celebrating the most consistently good wines of the
various types produced in South Africa are given overleaf in alphabetical
order. The full Classifications are available at www.topwinesa.com
www.topwinesa.com
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