Kanonkop and Rijk’s Set to Make History in Absa Top 10 Pinotage Competition

With nine Absa Top 10 Pinotage trophies each under their belts – the most any producers have won to date – Kanonkop and Rijk’s have already made their mark in the Pinotage record books. Now the waiting begins to see which will be the first to re-write history and reach the double-figure landmark.

This year’s 20 finalists represent all of South Africa’s leading Pinotage producing regions including Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek, Walker Bay and the Hemel en Aarde region.

Beyers Truter, Chairman of the SA Pinotage Association which organises this annual showcase along with Absa, member of Barclays Africa Group Ltd, says the list of 20 Top 10 candidates shows an exciting blend of regions, with established producers sharing the honours with some relative newcomers.

“Rijk’s and Kanonkop, as well as names such as Windmeul and Diemersdal are no strangers to the Absa Top 10, while newcomer producers of the likes of Sumaridge and Ayama together with Overhex’s new Survivor wine are exciting developments,” says Truter.

“Together with this mix of new and established, it is fantastic to see quality Pinotages originating from nearly all of South Africa’s diverse regions – from Stellenbosch and Paarl, to Walker Bay, Franschhoek and the Swartland. For Pinotage to produce quality wines from such a diverse spectrum of terroirs not only underscores the versatility of the grape, but the commitment the various producers are showing to having their region’s climates and terrains expressed through Pinotage and fine winemaking.”

This is the 19th consecutive year that Absa is partnering with the Pinotage Association as it continues to promote the uniquely South African wine made from Pinotage grapes. Absa’s continued involvement in supporting this competition is driven by the bank’s confidence in the new generation of South African winemakers – these winemakers are working hard to increase the prestige and sophistication of wines produced in South Africa.

This year’s Absa Top 10 Pinotage Competition panel of judges agreed on the general elegance of the wines, as well as to a discernible variation in styles and general improvement in overall quality. Convenor of the judging panel, Duimpie Bayly, said: “Before judging commenced I made it clear to the other judges that we were not going to limit ourselves by looking for any particular style of Pinotage.”

“The goal was to look for red wines that could be described as great in any language due to their elegance, balance and pure presence.”

During the judging process, consensus was reached that the makers of Pinotage are reaching levels never attained before and the final 20 wines show that this grape variety can take its place alongside the great reds of any country, anywhere in the world.”

A total of 154 Pinotage wines were entered. The judging panel comprised Duimpie Bayly, winemakers Neil Ellis, Fred Viljoen and Corlea Fourie, wine writer Samarie Smit, sommelier Georgio Meletio and viticulturist Stephan Joubert.

The complete list of 20 finalists for the Absa Top 10 Pinotage Competition are:

Image caption:
George Meltetiou, Fred Viljoen, Samarie Smith, Duimpie Bayly, Neil Ellis, Hendrien Eloff and associate judge Stephan Joubert.