“These incredible results are testament to the viticulture and winemaking team’s ability to understand and uniquely manage individual vineyard blocks during the ripening season,” Spier’s cellar master Frans Smit says. “All these wines werecrafted individually in the cellar, and have been made from the same blocks for several years. This confirms the concept of terroir is of utmost importance to create top class wines.”
Celebrating Spier’s pioneering contribution to South Africa’s rich winemaking history (which dates all the way back to the early 1700s), two of the winning wines – the Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2014 and Pinotage 2013 – are no strangers to acclaim. The Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2014 was included in the Standard Bank Top 10 Chenin Blanc 2015 and obtained Silver Outstanding in the International Wine & Spirits Competition last year. The Spier 21 Gables Pinotage 2013 was awarded five stars in Platter’s 2016, and won Gold Outstanding at last International Wine & Spirits Competition 2015.
“Both these wines were made from single vineyards from two very unique terriors. The Chenin Blanc is from a very old dry land vineyard that has shown great consistency over the past decade. The Pinotage is from a cool climate block, allowing the grapes ample time to slowly ripen for optimum ripeness.”
The four other Spier wines to be included in the Top 100 (obtaining Double Platinum) were:
- Spier Creative Block 2 2015
- Spier Creative Block 5 2013
- Spier Private Collection Woolworths Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
- Woolworths Single Vineyard (The Hutton) Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
“The Creative Block wines have been a success since range launched nine years ago. These two wines are examples of our best vineyards. The blending has resultedin a more complex wine than the original components,” Smit says.
“The two Woolworth wines were made with grapes from Darling – a region which consistently offers extraordinary terroir for Cabernet Sauvignon. It is wonderful to see our focus on this varietal bearing fruit,” he adds.
In addition to three Double Silvers, Spier also obtained the following Double Gold awards for:
- Spier 21 Gables Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
- Spier Creative Block 3 2013
- Spier Private Collection - Woolworths Chenin Blanc 2015
- Woolworths Windy Peak (Single Vineyard) Sauvignon Blanc 2015