The South African Wine Index (SAWi) once again acknowledged South
African wine excellence at its gala awards event, on 21 June 2014, held at the
luxurious Grootbos Private Nature Reserve near Gansbaai. Grootbos not only sponsored the event but also
entered into a partnership with SAWi to exclusively offer the complete range of
the ‘SAWi Grand Wines Collection’ (wines scoring 93+ points through the unique
SAWi Algorithm of Excellence) at this world renowned Reserve.
Having spent the afternoon at leisure on
the reserve, indulging in the luxuries of the Grootbos Estate, guests,
producers and wine makers were treated to a tasting of the winning wines before
the presentation of the awards during the evening. The event was a showcase of South
African ‘Grand Wines’ – highlighting the value of the SAWi principles and
methodology.
Constantia Glen took top honors on the night, receiving the SAWi Trophy for Wine Producer of the Year with Justin van Wyk (Winemaker) and Ettiene Southey (Vineyard Manager) and his team acknowledged as top achievers for 2014.
De Morgenzon received the 2014 SAWi Trophy for White Wine Producer of the Year. The Trophy for the 2014 SAWi Red Wine Producer of the Year went to Kanonkop Estate, also from Stellenbosch.
The inaugural Trophy for Best South African Brandy Producer was awarded to KWV.
Chardonnay dominated, with 17 accolades,
followed by Shiraz wines with 12, Sauvignon Blanc and Bordeaux Blends with 10
each, Pinotage 8, Pinot Noir 6 and Red Blends 5.
Hemel and Aarde Valley had 14 wine
accolades, followed by Constantia with 10 and Tulbach with 7, whilst Elgin,
Franshhoek, Paarl, Stellenbosch Kloof, Blaauwklippen and Idas Valley had 5
each. Wines from Stellenbosch West, , Blaauwklippen, Cederberg, Somerset West,
Franshhoek and Durbanville made up the
rest.
Once again, outlying wine pockets like
Cederberg, Tulbach, and even Barrydale featured prominently.
The SAWi wine judging Algorithm of Excellence
(Arabic tenfold system) is based on the combined results a wine has achieved
over multi vintages in any of 84 different multi-national wine competitions or
reviews (each weighted according to the compilation of judging panels and the
number of medals on offer).
Consistency in results, top 10 mentions
and trophies won are also taken into account during these calculations. As
such, a wine is not judged on one occasion only but its consistency is tracked
over a period and built out to a 10 year quality window.
SAWi Platinum is the highest accolade that
may be achieved by any single wine. A score of 95 or more, out of a possible
100, will secure this award. These wines are referred to as the ‘SAWI
Ambassadors Club’ the top end of the ‘SAWi Grand Wines Collection’ which also
include wines which received Grand Gold status for scoring 93 and 94. No score
below this attracts any accolades, ensuring that SAWi decorations are
aspirational and really the cream of the crop.
Since the start of the SAWi Ratings four
years ago, only 32 wines out of a total of 914 which were rated have scored 95+
points, with repeated good performances by the majority of these wines. This
year another 13 wines were added to this category.
SAWi also welcomed a number of new
wineries to its honors list in 2014, including Constantia Glen, De Morgenzon,
De Grendel and Journeys End Vineyards.
AWARD
HIGHLIGHTS
Top scoring wines
99 points - Hamilton
Russell Vineyards Chardonnay, Saronsberg Cellar Full Circle, Rijks Private
Cellar Pinotage and Kanonkop Estate Paul Sauer
98 points - Eagles' Nest
Shiraz and Stellenrust Wine Estate "48" Chenin Blanc
97 points - Bouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak Pinot Noir, Diemersdal Wine Estate Pinotage Reserve, Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir, Spier Wines Creative Block 3 Rhone Blend and KWV The Mentors Shiraz and Raats Mvemve Raats de Compostella Bordeaux Blend.
Top Wine Producers
Constantia Glen
Kanonkop Estate
Groot Constantia
Bouchard Finlayson
Saronsberg
De Morgenzon
Hamilton Russell Vineyards
Rustenburg Wines
De Grendel
Cederberg Private Cellar
Joubert Tradouw
Cape Chamonix
Eagles Nest
Raats Family Wines
Top Chardonnay: Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay
Top Sauvignon Blanc: Groot Constantia Estate Sauvignon Blanc
Top Chenin Blanc: Stellenrust 47 Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc
Top Semillon: Cederberg Private Cellar Ghost Corner Semillon
Top Viognier: Saronsberg Cellar Viognier
Top Pinotage: Rijks Private Cellar Pinotage
Top Shiraz: Eagle’s Nest Shiraz
Top Merlot: Journeys End Vineyards Merlot
Top Pinot Noir: Bouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak Pinot Noir
Top Rhone Blend: Saronsberg Full Circle Shiraz Mourvedre Viognier
Top Red Blend (other): Bouchard Finlayson Hannibal Sangiovese Pinot Noir
Top Bordeaux Blend: Kanonkop Estate Paul Sauer Cabernet Franc Merlot
Top Brandy: KWV 20 Year Old Brandy
Top Cape Port: De Krans Cape Tawny Port
Top Dessert Wine: Fleur du Cap Noble Late Harvest
Top Fortified Wine: KWV Vintage White Jerepigo
Top Méthode Cap Classique: ‘Pongrảcz Deciderius’ Pinot Noir Chardonnay
2014 Platinum
and Grand Gold Awards
Bouchard Finlayson and Cederberg Private
Cellar (trophy winners in 2013) once again won most awards, followed by Groot
Constantia Estate, Constantia Glen, Hamilton Russell Vineyards and Kanonkop
Estate, while KWV, De Grendel Wines, Rustenberg and Creation received at least
four awards each.
Full
results
Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage (Platinum)
Bouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak Pinot
Noir, Bouchard Finlayson Hannibal Sangiovese Pinot Noir Shiraz Mourvedre
Nebbiolo, Barbera, Bouchard Finlayson Kaaimansgat Crocodile's Lair Chardonnay
and
Bouchard Finlayson Tete de Cuvee Galpin
Peak Pinot Noir (Platinum) and the Bouchard
Finlayson Walker Bay Missionvale Chardonnay (Grand Gold)
Cape Chamonix Wine Farm Chardonnay
Reserve and Cape Chamonix Wine Farm Pinot Noir Reserve (Platinum) and Cape Wine Farm Chamonix Sauvignon Blanc
Reserve (Grand Gold)
Cederberg
Private Cellar Ghost Corner Sauvignon Blanc , Cederberg
Private Cellar Sauvignon Blanc
Cederberg Private Cellar Ghost Corner
Semillon and Cederberg Teen Die Hoog Shiraz CWG (Platinum)
Constantia Glen Five Merlot Cabernet
Malbec Cab Franc Petit Verdot, Constantia Glen Sauvignon Blanc
and Constantia Glen Three Cabernet
Sauvignon Cab Franc Merlot (Platinum)
Creation Syrah Grenache (Platinum), Creation Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Petit
Verdot, Creation Pinot Noir and Creation Viognier (Grand Gold)
De
Grendel Wines Shiraz (Platinum) and De Grendel Wines Winifred Viognier Semillon
Chardonnay, De Grendel Sauvignon Blanc, De Grendel Wines Koetshuis Sauvignon
Blanc (Grand Gold)
DeMorgenzon Reserve Chenin Blanc
(Platinum), DeMorgenzon Maestro White
and DeMorgenzon Sauvignon Blanc (Grand Gold)
Diemersdal Pinotage Reserve (Platinum)
and Diemersdal 8 Rows Sauvignon Blanc
(Grand Gold)
Doolhof
Signatures of Doolhof Pinotage and Doolhof The Minotaur Pinotage Malbec Merlot
Shiraz Cab S Petit Verdot (Grand Gold)
Eagles' Nest Shiraz – (Platinum)
Glenwood
Vignerons Selection Chardonnay (Grand Gold)
Groot Constantia Gouverneurs Chardonnay,
Groot Constantia Gouverneurs Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Cab Franc Malbec,
Groot Constantia Sauvignon Blanc, Groot Constantia Shiraz (Platinum) and Groot Constantia Gouverneurs Reserve White
(Grand Gold)
Hamilton Russel Chardonnay and Hamilton
Russel Pinot Noir (Platinum)
Southern
Right Pinotage and Southern Right Sauvignon Blanc (Grand Gold)
Jordan
Estate Nine Yards Chardonnay and Jordan Estate The Real McCoy Riesling (Platinum)
Joubert
Tradouw Chardonnay & Joubert Tradouw Syrah – (Grand Gold)
Journeys End Vineyards Chardonnay (Platinum) and Journeys End Vineyards Merlot
(Grand Gold)
Kanonkop Paul Sauer Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Franc Merlot, Kanonkop Pinotage (Platinum) and
Kanonkop
Cabernet Sauvignon (Grand Gold)
Ken Forrester The FMC Chenin Blanc (Platinum)
and Ken Forrester The Gypsy Shiraz
Grenache (Grand Gold)
Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Sauvignon
Blanc , Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Shiraz (Platinum) and Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection Barrel
Fermented Chardonnay (Grand Gold)
KWV Mentors Chardonnay & KWV Mentors
Shiraz (Platinum) and KWV Mentors
Pinotage, KWV Orchestra Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec Merlot Cab Franc Shiraz (Grand
Gold)
Klein
Constantia Marlbrook Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Cab Franc Petit Verdot Malbec (Grand
Gold)
La Motte Pierneef Shiraz Viognier (Platinum)
Lomond
Sugarbush Sauvignon Blanc and Lomond Syrah (Grand Gold)
Oak Valley Elgin Pinot Noir (Platinum)
and Oak Valley Elgin Chardonnay (Grand
Gold)
Paul Cluver Chardonnay (Platinum) and Paul Cluver Seven Flags Pinot Noir & Paul
Cluver Weisser Riesling
(Grand
Gold)
Raats Mvemve Raats de Compostella
Bordeaux Blend and Raats Family Wines Original
Chenin Blanc (Platinum)
Raka
Biography Shiraz (Grand Gold)
Stellenzicht
Golden Triangle Shiraz (Grand Gold)
Rijks Private Cellar Pinotage – Platinum and Rijks Chenin Blanc (Grand Gold)
Rustenberg Wines Five Soldiers
Chardonnay, Rustenberg Wines John X Merriman Cab Sauvignon Merlot Cab Franc
Petit Verdot (Platinum) and Rustenberg Wines
Peter Barlow Cabernet Sauvignon, Rustenberg Wines RM Nicholson Cabernet Shiraz
Petit Cab Franc Verdot Malbec and Rustenberg
Wines Stellenbosch Chardonnay (Grand Gold)
Saronsberg Full Circle Shiraz Mourvedre
Viognier, Saronsberg Provenance Range Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Malbec Petit
Verdot, Saronsberg Provenance Range Shiraz, Saronsberg Shiraz (Platinum) and
Saronsberg
Viognier (Grand Gold)
Spier Creative Block Selection Rhone
Blend Shiraz Mourvedre Viognier (Platinum) and Spier Private Collection Chardonnay, Spier Private Collection Pinotage
(Grand Gold)
Stellenrust "47" Chenin Blanc
Barrel Fermented (Platinum)
Veenwouden
Merlot (Grand Gold)
Wildekrans Pinotage Barrel Select
Reserve (Platinum) and Wildekrans
Shiraz Barrel Select Reserve (Grand Gold)
Top
Fortified Wines
De
Krans Cape Tawny Port (Platinum). KWV Cape Tawny Port (Grand Gold) and Boplaas Cape
Vintage Reserve Port (Grand Gold).
Top
Brandies
South
Africa’s brandies were at the top of their game.
Van
Ryn’s 15-year Old Fine
Cask Reserve Brandy (Platinum) and 12 year Old Distiller's
Reserve Brandy
& Van Ryn’s 15 Year Old Vintage
Brandy (Grand
Gold). KWV 20-Year Old Brandy and Laborie Alambic Brandy (Platinum).
Wine
Legend
Beyers
Truter was honored as the SAWi Wine Legend of the
Year and joined Hempies du Toit, Jan Boland Coetzee and Peter Finlayson on this
honors roll. His contribution to the global profile of South African wines has
made Beyers a true pioneer in the South Africa wine industry.
For more
information about this award-winning private reserve, please go to www.grootbos.com