Until the introduction of the Index, the quality adjudication of wine depended on annual events, which by their nature present the once-off and subjective opinions of the adjudicators. This not only makes it difficult to track a wine’s performance over time but, more importantly, it prevents meaningful empirical deductions from being made.
SAWi is proud to present the South African ‘Grand Wines Collection’. The GWC represents a little less than 500 of the 6000 South African wines currently available that have consistently achieved the highest acknowledgement from various wine judging panels and respected wine commentators, all over the world. Each ranked wine in the list below has scored a minimum of 93 Index points. As a collective, the GWC sets a unique benchmark for South African wine quality.
The Grand Wines Collection
(June 2016 ranking, per wine cultivar)
CHARDONNAY
1 Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay
2 Groot Constantia Estate Chardonnay
3 Jordan Wine Estate Nine Yards Chardonnay
4 Paul Cluver Estate Wines Chardonnay
5 Oak Valley Wines Chardonnay
SAUVIGNON BLANC
1 Kleine Zalze Wines Family Reserve Sauvignon Blanc
2 Cederberg Private Cellar Sauvignon Blanc
3 Groot Constantia Estate Sauvignon Blanc
4 Cederberg Private Cellar David Nieuwoudt Ghost Corner Sauvignon Blanc
5 La Motte Pierneef Sauvignon Blanc
CHENIN BLANC
1 De Morgenzon Reserve Chenin Blanc
2 Ken Forrester Wines The FMC Chenin Blanc
3 Stellenrust “50” Chenin Blanc Barrel Fermented
4 Wildekrans Wine Estate Chenin Blanc Barrel Select
5 Kleine Zalze Wines Family Reserve Chenin Blanc
WHITE WINE BLENDS
1 Tokara Director’s Reserve White Sauvignon Blanc Semillon
2 Vergelegen Wines G.V.B. White Sauvignon Blanc Semillon
3 Sadie Family Wines Signature Series Palladius Chenin Blanc Roussanne
4 Cape Point Vineyards Isliedh Sauvignon Blanc Semillon
5 Sadie Family Wines Old Vine Series T Voetpad Chenin Blanc, Semillon Palomino
VIOGNIER
1 Eagles Nest Viognier
2 Lismore Estate Vineyards Viognier
3 Creation Wines Viognier
4 Saronsberg Viognier
5 Lynx Wines Viognier
SEMILLON
1 Cederberg Private Cellar David Nieuwoudt Ghost Corner Semillon
2 KWV Mentors Semillon
3 Landau du Val Semillon Private Collection
4 Fleur du Cap Unfiltered Semillon
5 Boekenhoutskloof Winery Semillon Franschhoek
RIESLING
1 Jordan Wine Estate The Real McCoy Riesling
2 Paul Cluver Estate Wines Riesling
3 Klein Constantia Estate Rhine Riesling
GEWüRTSTRAMINER
1 Paul Cluver Estate Wines Gewürtstraminer
2 Neethlingshof Estate Gewűrztraminer
GRENACHè BLANC
1 KWV Mentors Grenaché Blanc
2 The Foundry Grenaché Blanc
COLOMBARD
1 Bon Courage Andre’s Fame Colombard
SWEET WINE
1 Klein Constantia Estate Vin de Constance
2 Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines Straw Wine Straw Wine
3 Nederburg Wines Private Bin Edelkeur
4 Fleur du Cap Noble Late Harvest
5 Nederburg Wines Private Bin Eminence
DESSERT & FORTIFIED WINE
1 Paul Cluver Estate Wines Riesling Noble Late Harvest
2 Nuy Wine Cellar White Muscadel
3 Miles Mossop Wines Kika Chenin Dessert Wine Noble Late Harvest
4 Bon Courage Estate White Muscadel
5 KWV Vintage White Jerepigo
MèTHODE CAP CLASSIQUE
1 Pongrảcz Desiderius Sparkling Wine Méthode Cap Classic
2 Villiera Wines Monro Sparkling Wine Méthode Cap Classic Brut
3 Silverthorn Wines The Green Man Blanc de Blanc Sparkling Wine Méthode Cap Classic
4 Graham Beck Wines Brut Rose Sparkling Wine Méthode Cap Classique NV
5 Wildekrans Wine Estate Chenin Blanc Sparkling Wine Méthode Cap Classic
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
1 Annandale Wines Cabernet Sauvignon
2 Stark-Condé Wines Three Pines Jonkershoek Cabernet Sauvignon
3 Rustenberg Wines Peter Barlow Cabernet Sauvignon
4 Kleine Zalze Wines Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
5 Le Riche Wines Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
PINOTAGE
1 Rijks Private Cellar Pinotage
2 Wildekrans Wine Estate Pinotage Barrel Select Reserve
3 Kanonkop Estate Pinotage
4 Windmeul Cellar Reserve Pinotage
5 Aaldering Vineyards and Wines Pinotage
SHIRAZ
1 Eagles Nest Shiraz
2 Groot Constantia Estate Shiraz
3 Saronsberg Shiraz
4 Cederberg Private Cellar Shiraz
5 Annandale Wines Shiraz
BORDEAUX BLENDS
1 De Toren Private Cellar Fusion V Cabernet Cab Franc Petit Verdot Merlot Malbec
2 Rustenberg Wines John X Merriman Cab Sauvignon Merlot Cab Franc Petit Verdot
3 Kanonkop Estate Paul Sauer Cabernet Sauvignon Cab Franc Merlot
4 Mvemve Raats de Compostella Cab Franc Cab Sauvignon Malbec Merlot Petit Verdot
5 Morgenster Estate Merlot Cab Sauvignon Cab Franc Petit Verdot
PINOT NOIR
1 Bouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak Pinot Noir
2 Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir
3 Creation Wines Reserve Pinot Noir
4 Cape Chamonix Wine Farm Pinot Noir Reserve
5 Oak Valley Wines Pinot Noir
RED BLENDS
1 Bouchard Finlayson Hannibal Sangiovese Pinot Shiraz Mourvèdre Nebbiolo Barbera
2 Sijnn Red Blend Syrah Touriga Nacional Mourvèdre Trincadeira Cabernet Sauvignon
3 Rust en Vrede Estate 1694 Classification Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon
4 AA Badenhorst Family Wines Red Blend Shiraz Mourvèdre Grenache Cinsault
5 KWV The Mentors Canvas Shiraz Grenache Cinsault Tempranillo
RHONE BLENDS
1 Saronsberg Full Circle Shiraz Mourvèdre Viognier
2 La Motte Pierneef Shiraz Viognier
3 Sadie Family Wines Signature Series Columella Shiraz Mouvèdre
4 Spier Creative Block 3 Selection Rhone Blend Shiraz Mourvèdre Viognier
5 Creation Wines Syrah Grenache
MERLOT
1 Annandale Wines Merlot
2 Veenwouden Private Cellar Reserve Collection Merlot
3 De Grendel Wines Merlot
4 Shannon Vineyards Mount Bullet Merlot
5 Jason Hill Merlot
CAPE BLEND
1 Windmeul Cellar Cape Blend Reserve Pinotage Cab Sauvignon Merlot Petit Verdot
2 Wildekrans Wine Estate Cape Blend Barrel Select Reserve Pinotage Shiraz Cabernet
3 Welbedacht Wine Estate Hat Trick Pinotage Syrah Merlot
4 KWV Abraham Perold Tributum Cape Blend Cabernet Sauvignon Pinotage Shiraz Malbec
5 Idiom Collection Cabernet Sauvignon Pinotage Merlot Petit Verdot
CABERNET FRANC
1 Warwick Estate Cabernet Franc
2 Raats Family Wines Cab Franc
MALBEC
1 Doolhof Wine Estate Signatures of Doolhof Malbec
2 Diemersfontein Wines Carpe Diem Malbec Reserve
GRENACHè
1 Vriesenhof Vineyards Grenachè
2 Sadie Family Wines Old Vine Series Soldaat Grenachè
CINSAUT
1 Sadie Family Wines Old Vine Series Pofadder Cinsault
PETIT VERDOT
1 KWV The Mentors Petit Verdot
TINTA BAROCCA
1 Sadie Family Wines Old Vine Series Treinspoor Tinta Barocca
CAPE PORTS
1 Boplaas Family Vineyards Cape Vintage Reserve Port
2 Boplaas Family Vineyards Cape Tawny Port
3 De Krans Vintage Reserve Port
4 KWV Classic Collection Cape Tawny Port
5 De Krans Cape Tawny Port
BRANDIES
1 Van Ryn’s 12 YO Distillers Reserve Brandy
2 Laborie Wine Farm Alambic Brandy
3 Van Ryn’s 15 YO Fine Cask Old Brandy
4 KWV 20 Year Old Brandy
5 Van Ryn’s 20 YO Collectors Reserve Brandy
Visit the SAWi website for the complete list and additional information.