According
to Johan Joubert of Boland Cellar, their exceptional wines are due to the
unique collaborative efforts that lie at the core of their business.
“This success can once again be attributed to the Boland family, committed
workers and suppliers, as well as nature and a bit of something
extraordinary. The grapes came from a 15-year-old block in Voor-Perdeberg
that was planted in two distinctive sections parts, which brings a unique
diversity and complexity to the wines produced from this block. We have
carefully tended the vineyards with the farm family over the past ten years to
ensure consistency in wine style and quality,” mentions Joubert.
The 2013
Vrede en Lust Marguerite also scored a gold medal to finish second with Glen
Carlou Quartz Stone Chardonnay 2013 in third place with a silver medal.
The judging panel agreed that the white category was extremely closely
contested and that the Chardonnays were a great benchmark for showcasing the
unique terroir of Paarl, while their deliberations were divided between the
technical aspects versus drinkability from a consumer perspective.
The panel
was chaired by Johan Jordaan of the Cabernet Sauvignon Interest Group.
Other panel members included Nina-Marie Bruwer of the Cape Wine Academy, wine
journalist Samarie Smith, sommelier Georgio Meletiou of the Cullinan Hotel,
Mark Norrish of Ultra Liquors and Izele van Blerk from the Chardonnay Interest
Group.
In the
Cabernet Sauvignon category, the 2012 Perdeberg The Dry Land Collection
Cabernet Sauvignon proved its supremacy by taking the category title and the
only gold medal. Under Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2010 came second and
Mitre's Edge Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 took third place.
According
to Perdeberg winemaker Riaan Möller, the winning wine is part of their premium
Dry Land range and has already collected a double gold at the recent China Wine
Awards. “The wine is a blend of three of our best Cabernet Sauvignon
blocks in Agter-Paarl. The vineyards are meticulously managed and the
grapes are hand-picked and fermented separately. The wines are then
stored individually in French oak for 18 months before the best barrels are
selected for the blending process.”
The awards
ceremony, sponsored by Collotype Labels, also saw the announcement of the
winner of the Paarl Wine Challenge Cellar Assistants’ Tasting
Competition. This competition forms part of the social development
programme steered by the Paarl Wine Route in conjunction with WineTech, which
has been running a free annual training programme with the various
cellars. This year’s competition was a close race and a delighted Christo
Samuels from KWV took top honours with Fairview’s Nkosinathi Mbiba second and
Craig George from KWV taking the third spot on the podium. Only 1 point
separated the top three in this fiercely contested battle.
According
to Stephen Richardson, Chairman of the Paarl Wine Route, the contest was
limited to wines from the appellation of Paarl to give smaller producers a
platform from which to promote their wines. “It is inspiring to see a broad
spectrum of producers in the line-up and following the positive feedback from
the tasting panel, we know that Paarl can hold its own as one of the top wine
producing regions in the world,” says Richardson.
Richardson
concluded that it was good to see consensus from judges both from the retail
and winemaking industries on the top scoring wines in each category.
“This proves that the wines could not be faulted on quality, while the
winemakers also showed a clear understanding of their consumers and their
specific preferences.”
In 2016,
the spotlight will fall on Pinotage and Chenin Blanc, while 2017 will feature
Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc. In 2018, it will be the turn for Merlot and
White Blends, while Red Blends and Viognier will be battling it out in
2019.
FULL
LIST OF MEDAL WINNERS:
CHARDONNAY
(IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
GOLD
Boland
Cellar Reserve No1 Chardonnay 2014
Vrede en
Lust Marguerite 2013
SILVER
Glen Carlou
Chardonnay 2014
Rhebokskloof
Kirstenbosch Chardonnay 2014
BRONZE
Babylonstoren
Chardonnay 2013
Kleine
Draken Chardonnay 2013
Landskroon
Chardonnay 2015
Mellasat
Chardonnay Barrel Reserve 2012
Rhebokskloof
Sandstone Grove Chardonnay 2013
CABERNET
SAUVIGNON (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
GOLD
Perdeberg
The Dry Land Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
SILVER
Glen Carlou
Gravel Quarry Carbernet Sauvignon 2010
Mitre's
Edge Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
Under Oaks
Cabernet Suavignon Reserve 2010
BRONZE
Ayama
Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
Brahms
Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
Kirstenbosch
Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Landskroon
Paul de Villiers Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Olsen
Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
Vrede en
Lust Napoleonsberg 2012
For more
information, visit www.paarlwine.co.za