Category Archives: 2012 Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show
Elegant Eikendal Wines On A Winning Streak
Double golden glory for newly released Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
Eikendal, the prominent Stellenbosch cellar on the foot of the Helderberg renowned for its elegant Bordeaux-style red wines and fine Chardonnay, has raised its all-round winemaking talent with no less than seven impressive local and international awards added to its lineage in 2012.
The latest of the five top performing wines that contributed to Eikendal’s ‘star-studded year’ is the newly released Eikendal Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, which has already been crowned twice. This ‘gentle giant’ scored a gold medal at the 2012 Veritas Awards – South Africa’s premier wine competition – and international wine judges were equally impressed with this full-bodied, elegant red, when the 2010 vintage excelled with gold medal status at the annual MUNDUS Vini International Wine Awards 2012 in Germany. In addition its predecessor, Eikendal Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, was rated amongst the country’s finest at the Top 100 SA Wine Challenge for 2012.
Another red gem that shot to fame this year is Eikendal’s flagship Bordeaux-style red blend, Classique 2009, which streaked ahead of its competition with double trophy glory at the Old Mutual Trophy Awards 2012. This highly acclaimed wine won the Old Mutual Trophy for the Best Red Wine as well as the Riedel Trophy for the Best Bordeaux-style Red Blend. The estate’s white flagship, the elegantly wooded Eikendal Chardonnay 2011 also showed its mettle at this competition and walked off with a gold medal.
Earlier this year the Eikendal Merlot 2009 clinched gold at the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards 2012 in the UK.
Perfectly positioned on the famed ‘golden slopes’ of South Africa’s red wine production area, Eikendal maximises its favourable terroir and close proximity to False Bay to produce great wines. The red varieties in particular, benefit from the cool conditions which allow slower, optimal ripening of the grapes. Eikendal’s location is also a premium pocket for producing exceptional Chardonnay with strong regional and varietal integrity, showcasing the best characteristics of the cultivar.
“2012 was an exceptional year for Eikendal. Whilst it still gives me great satisfaction to see people enjoying our wines, accolades such as these somehow remind me how much I truly love what I do and where I am. I’m glad to see that the wine on which we have built our reputation over the past 30 years still make us proud,” shares winemaker Nico Grobler.
More information on the Eikendal Cabernet Sauvignon 2010:
Described by the winemaker as ‘a wine that is more classic and refined in character rather than gutsy and powerful’, the latest vintage Eikendal Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 is a full-bodied, yet superbly smooth red that satisfies with a remarkable concentration of fruit and ripe tannins.
The first immediate impact is the bouquet – a sultry smack of bright red currant and black mulberry fruit harmoniously backed by lingering spice and tobacco nuances. Alluring with a deep garnet lustre, the wine unfolds gentle layers of earthy aromas and herbaceous tones, while a silky smooth mouthfeel is balanced by a lingering fresh acidity on the finish.
Barrel-maturation took place over 16 months to give the Eikendal Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 its richly layered fruit aromas and roundness. This wine shows great ageing potential and holds promise for further improvement over the next 8-10 years.
Recommended food partners: Try it with venison, succulent rump steak Mediterranean dishes or guinea fowl. It will go perfectly with your Sunday roast.
Recommended retail price: R110 per bottle directly from the cellar or at selected wine outlets countrywide.
For more information or wine orders contact Eikendal at Tel: (+27)21 855 1422 or email: info@eikendal.co.za.
The Mentors Wines Strike Treasure For KWV At Michelangelo Awards
KWV notched up another sterling performance at this year’s Michelangelo International Wine Awards with KWV The Mentors wines collecting the lion’s share of 17 medals amassed by the Paarl producer, including a coveted Gran D’Or.
The achievement for The Mentors range – arguably the most awarded wine brand in the country in recent years – is significant considering the age of the wines, according to KWV Chief Winemaker Richard Rowe. “The first wines were launched in 2006 and grown rapidly into something special,” he says.
Collecting a Gran D’Or award this year was the KWV Mentors Cabernet Franc 2010.
Gold medals for KWV The Mentors went to the Semillon 2011; Grenache Blanc 2011; Canvas 2010; and, Orchestra 2010. Silver medals were awarded to the Chardonnay 2011; Semillon 2010; Pinotage 2010; and, Shiraz 2010.
KWV Chief Winemaker, Richard Rowe
The performance of this premium range at the competition highlights the consistency of its international standing. The Michelangelo International Wine Awards were established with the purpose of giving local wines the opportunity of being judged by an international panel of wine experts. The results of the 16th event were announced on Friday in Somerset West. A total of 1 432 entries from 295 producers were assessed this year, including 41 from producers outside South Africa – the highest number of international entries to date. A panel from 15 countries judged the entries.
Since their launch, The Mentors have featured in virtually every major wine competition, including the Mundus Vini International Wine Awards in Germany; Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show; Veritas Awards; Decanter International Wine Awards; Absa Top 10 Pinotage Awards; and, Five Nations Wine Challenge, which pits wines from leading wine producers Argentina, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Chile against each other.
“The Mentors’ accomplishments are a material indication of the evolution of KWV with many wines exported to the rest of the world,” says Rowe. “The most recent success of the Cabernet Franc – one of the few single varietals in The Mentors range – is particularly gratifying for what it says about the strategy to identify excellence in individual parcels of vineyard.
“That’s what we’ve done here to produce a wine worthy of carrying The Mentors name.”
The Mentors comprise premium quality wines made from selected vineyards. A purpose-built cellar was established specifically to allow KWV’s winemaking team to investigate small premium parcels of fruit from various regions and vineyards that go into The Mentors wines. Only wines satisfying the quality standard are bottled under The Mentors label.
KWV Makes It Two In A Row With Top Spot At 2012 Old Mutual Wine Awards
The dominance of KWV as a winemaker of consistent, world-class quality was confirmed with the company claiming no less than four major trophies at this year’s Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show, including the prestigious award for Most Successful Producer.
This is the second major competition to have bestowed this title on KWV, which last year won the most double gold and gold medals in the history of Veritas, South Africa’s longest running wine competition.
Announcing the award at the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town this week, the esteemed panel of international and local judges said in a statement that “in what has come to be an increasingly hotly contested race, the Fairbairn Capital Trophy for the Top Producer at the 2012 Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show went to KWV SA, a cellar whose recent renaissance has seen it dominate the podium at several of South Africa’s major wine competitions in the past year”.
The KWV team was particularly delighted when the 2011 Mentors Chardonnay was named winner of both the Miele Trophy for Best Chardonnay as well as the Old Mutual Trophy for Best White Wine. Lining up alongside it on the podium was its 1929 Reserve Port, which won the trophy for Best Fortified Wine in the museum class of the competition, arguably the most respected event of its kind in South Africa.
Johann Fourie and Richard Rowe of KWV SA – winners of the 2012 Fairbairn Capital Trophy for the Most Successful Producer, Trophy for the Best White Wine, Miele Trophy for the Best Chardonnay, and the Best Museum Class Fortified Wine picture courtesy of Old Mutual Trophy wine Show taken by Shawn Benjamin
In the medal stakes, a host of KWV brands and classes featured this year with the majority being accumulated by wines in its Mentors range. It collected 10 Silver and 16 Bronze medals.
“Our performance at Veritas last year was gratifying – at the time, we had consolidated our vision and the awards demonstrated we were moving in the right direction,” says KWV chief winemaker Richard Rowe. “These latest achievements are an indication that we have maintained the consistency of this vision.”
The victory for the 2011 Mentors Chardonnay was also significant, says Rowe, not only because the cultivar itself is one of the most popular among South Africans, but because the trophies this particular wine collected are an indication of the success in its stylistic evolution. “Winning this award reinforces our belief in the importance of ‘regionality’ and varietal expression,” he says.
The award may be considered even more significant in the light of the judging panel’s excitement over the splendid chardonnays to come across their desks this year as well as an overall improvement in entries. Says Chairman of the Judges, Michael Fridjhon: “We are accustomed to seeing a general year-on-year improvement and adjust our standards to take this into account. We call this ‘raising the bar’ and talk confidently about how a Silver medal of five years ago would only be a Bronze today. That said, we were simply unprepared for the wealth of fine wines across many of the classes – a result reflected in the highest number of Golds and Silvers ever awarded at this show.”
KWVs awards at the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show follow on the heels of an announcement days ago that two of its wines – Cathedral Cellar Chenin Blanc 2011 and The Mentors Orchestra 2010 – collected gold medals at the 2012 Decanter World Wine Awards in London. They were among only 15 gold medals won by South African wines at this important international event.
The Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show is South Africa’s premier wine competition that has recognised the top local wines and winemakers, and honoured excellence in the wine industry since its inception in 2002.
Eikendal Strikes Double Trophy Glory At Old Mutual Trophy Awards 2012
Eikendal Classique 2009 & Eikendal Chardonnay 2011 both clinch awards
Eikendal, the prominent cellar on the foot of the Helderberg renowned for its big Bordeaux-style red wines and acclaimed Chardonnay, reaffirmed its all-round winemaking talent by clinching awards for both its red and white flagship wines at the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show Awards 2012.
Eikendal’s flagship Bordeaux-style red blend, Classique 2009, soared with two trophies by winning the Old Mutual Trophy for the Best Red Wine as well as the Riedel Trophy for the Best Bordeaux-style Red Blend whilst the wooded Eikendal Chardonnay 2011 scooped a gold medal at this year’s contest.
“30 Years of winemaking is definitely baring fruit for Eikendal and these latest achievements attest our constant strive
Nico Grobler of Eikendal – winner of the Old Mutual Trophy for the Best Red Wine Image courtesy of Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show and image by Shawn Benjamin
for perfection. It is also a fitting testament to our philosophy that ‘quality wine is made in the vineyard’ and we are glad to see that the wines on which we have built our reputation, can compete against the best in the business and still make us proud,” shares Winemaker Nico Grobler.
Perfectly positioned on the famed ‘golden slopes’ of South Africa’s red wine production area, Eikendal maximises its favourable terroir and close proximity to False Bay to produce great wines with strong regional and varietal integrity.
Eikendal’s Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show Awards success comes close on the heels of its winning glory at the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards 2012 in the UK, where the estate’s Merlot 2009 was crowned with gold medal status.
Earlier this year, Eikendal also made the Top 100 SA Wines 2012 with its Cabernet Sauvignon 2009.
More information on the Eikendal Classique 2009:
Described by the winemaker as ‘a wine that strives for the ultimate purity’, Classique 2009 is driven by Merlot (52%) which adds abundant fruit layers and silky softness to the blend, while it also includes Cabernet Sauvignon (28%) and a classic touch of Cabernet Franc (20%).
Charmingly reserved, Classique 2009 shows remarkable finesse and flavour owing to the cooling maritime breezes and ideal soil compositions in the vineyards, with each of the components delivering a strong sense of varietal integrity.
The three individual components spent 18 months in the barrels before they were blended together. The wine was bottle aged for six months prior to its release.
Alluring with a dark brick red hue and juicy ripe black fruit, Eikendal Classique 2009 is a classy, understated red wine with a multi-layered berry bouquet culminating in a velvet finish, while fine, silky tannins provide great potential for further ageing.
Recommended food partners: Fillet medallions and fresh rocket – the winemaker’s favourite , or springbok carpaccio with fresh olive oil and black pepper, smoked aubergine and mozzarella stacks, fresh beetroot, or a rich chocolate and berry tart.
Recommended retail price: R150 per bottle.
More information on the Eikendal Chardonnay 2011:
The newly released Eikendal Chardonnay 2011 is a full-bodied yet restrained wine with a superb sense of place and balance. It is a refined Chardonnay with classic intensity of flavour and finesse and the wine expresses the cellar’s pursuit of a ‘tighter and fresher’ taste profile.
“My international exposure clearly reflects in the evolution of our Chardonnay from the pre-2009 vintages, which did not express the freshness of the variety due to the overt use of oak, to our latest 2011 vintage, which I think is a sublime balancing act,” explains Nico.
A technique used by Nico in his last three vintages was to pick the grapes at three different stages of ripeness, resulting in freshness as well as richness in the finished wine.
The Eikendal Chardonnay 2011 exudes a fresh citrus blossom character which offsets a wealth of rich fruit layers whilst substantial length underlines great ageing potential. The wine reveals a subtle oak character without compromising the fresh taste and steely elegance due to careful barrel maturation for ten months.
Steering clear of a more weighty style, the Eikendal Chardonnay 2011 has a tight mineral character enriched with fresh ripe pears and honeyed orange peel on the nose. The palate is smooth and well-rounded with crisp acidity and perfect fruit while the elegant wooding allows the wine and its structure to shine through.
Recommended food partners: Lightly grilled salmon, roasted poultry dishes or simply divine on its own.
Recommended retail price: R90 per bottle.
These wines are available directly from the Eikendal tasting room or at selected fine wine outlets
and restaurants countrywide. For more information or wine orders contact Eikendal at
Tel: (+27)21 855 1422 or email: orders@eikendal.co.za.
Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show Awards 2012 A Sumptuous Result
In what has come to be an increasingly hotly contested race, the Fairbairn Capital Trophy for the Top Producer at the 2012 Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show went to KWV SA, a cellar whose recent renaissance has seen it dominate the podium at several of South Africa’s major wine competitions in the past year. It edged Eikendal into second place, closely followed by Jordan Wine Estate and Vergelegen.
KWV’s top results came from winning the Miele Trophy for Best Chardonnay, the Best White Wine Trophy, as well as the Trophy for the Best Museum Class Fortified. In addition KWV SA collected 10 Silver and 16 Bronze medals. Eikendal won the Old Mutual Trophy for the Best Red Wine, the Riedel Trophy for the Best Bordeaux-style Red Blend and a Gold Medal for its Chardonnay. Jordan won the American Express Trophy for the Best Cabernet Sauvignon and the Best Chenin Blanc Museum Class Trophy; and Vergelegen swept up two Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Blend Trophies – one for the Museum Class.
Thelema’s Sutherland Viognier Roussanne 2009, which received a Gold Medal at the 2011 Show, this year won the Grande Roche Trophy for the Best White Blend, as much a reflection of how the wine has evolved over time as it is a tribute to the consistency of the judging panels over the two events.
The Secret Cellar Sauvignon Blanc 2011 collected the Old Mutual Discovery of the Show award. The Trophy is awarded to the Gold Medallist whose final score – at the trophy judging – divided by its declared price on the entry form, yields the highest index (adjusted for category). In short, it is an award for the best value Gold Medal wine, and this year may indeed have yielded the best value index in the history of the show.
All the Trophy Winners: Back row (left to right) Reg Holder (Delheim), Pierre Wahl (Rijk’s Private Cellar), Jeff Grier (Villiera), Rudi Schultz (Thelema Mountain Vineyards), Bertho van der Westhuizen (Kleine Zalze), Danie Morkel (Nederburg), Jennifer Holmes (Cape Point Vineyards), Kobus Gerber (Lomond), Sjaak Nelson (Jordan Wine Estate), Gottfried Mocke (Cape Chamonix), Charles Hopkins (De Grendel), Don Tooth (Vergelegen), Irene Waller (La Bri). In front (left to right): Michiel du Toit (Ormonde), Thys Lombard (Tokara), Mike Neebe (Axe Hill), Nico Grobler (Eikendal), Jeremy Borg (Painted Wolf) and Mark Norrish (Ultra Liquors).
The newly named Tony Mossop Trophy for the Best Cape Port – which recognises the role played by the late Tony Mossop in developing the Cape Port industry – was awarded to Mike Neebe, a shareholder of the property formerly owned by Tony Mossop, for the Axe Hill Cape Vintage 2009. The Harold Eedes Trophy for the Show’s Best Chenin Blanc went to Tokara’s Miles Mossop for the Tokara Chenin Blanc 2009. Like Tony Mossop, the late Harold Eedes was an iconic figure in the Cape wine industry – the founder of Wine Magazine and a driving force behind the improvement in wine quality which this year’s Show results celebrate.
Johann Fourie and Richard Rowe of KWV SA – winners of the 2012 Fairbairn Capital Trophy for the Most Successful Producer, Trophy for the Best White Wine, Miele Trophy for the Best Chardonnay, and the Best Museum Class Fortified Wine
The 2012 Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show saw virtually the same number of entries as the 2011 event, but yielded a dramatically higher number of Gold and Silver medals. At the post-judging industry feed-back session, the regular panellists – as well as the overseas judges with prior experience of the competition – commented on the markedly better quality of the top wines in most of the classes.
This is a clear indication of the ever-increasing number of fine wines available on the local market. In all, 42 Gold medals were awarded (compared with 25 in 2011) and of these, seven were from Museum Class entries (compared with five in 2011). Most of the major classes were represented among the Golds, though the absence of a Riesling among these top awards was a disappointment.
The award of not one but two Gold medals in the Méthode Cap Classique category is a first in the history of the show. The Villiera Woolworths Vintage Reserve Brut 2007 took the Trophy, and the Du Preez Estate’s Hendrik Lodewyk MCC NV, the other Gold. The five Chardonnay Golds, four Sauvignon Blanc Golds and three Chenin Blanc Golds speak for the strength of the white wine categories. Red wines were well represented, though without the same obvious depth of talent. Many of the classes had a single Gold medallist, with Shiraz (the largest class of entry at this year’s show) and Pinotage the exceptions. Jeremy Borg’s Painted Wolf Shiraz 2009 – winner of the British Airways Comair Trophy for the Show’s best Shiraz (and one of only three Gold medals in the 136-wine strong Shiraz class) – comes with its own conservationist message.
Nico Grobler of Eikendal – winner of the Old Mutual Trophy for the Best Red Wine
The Old Mutual International Judges’ Trophy – for the wine which, in the opinion of the three international judges, was the best wine at the trophy judging – was awarded to the De Grendel Shiraz 2010. In theory, this wine will represent the Show’s top wine from an international perspective.
Chairman of the Judges, Michael Fridjhon, was enthusiastic about the overall results: “We are accustomed to seeing a general year-on-year improvement and adjust our standards to take this into account. We call this ‘raising the bar’ and talk confidently about how a Silver medal of five years ago would only be a Bronze today. That said, we were simply unprepared for the wealth of fine wines across many of the classes – a result reflected in the highest number of Golds and Silvers ever awarded at this show.”
“Old Mutual is proud of its 11 year sponsorship of the country’s top wine competition,” says Joy Khaole, Old Mutual’s Sponsorship Manager. “Not only does it provide us with an opportunity to build relationships with wine lovers all over South Africa, but it enables us to play a crucial role in discovering talent and highlighting it both locally and on the international stage”.
Within the next two weeks, a series of tastings will be taken to six major centres countrywide including a Masterclass® in Windhoek. Wine lovers in Cape Town and Johannesburg will be able to taste 218 (141 in 2011) Trophy, Gold, Silver and some Museum Class medal winning wines at public tastings. Each show visitor will receive a copy of the Icons – which contains details of all the winning wines, together with vintage information, advice about wine service and chapters contributed by all three international judges. Icons will appear with next week’s issue of Financial Mail and with the July issue of WineLand.
THE AUDITED* RESULTS OF 2012 OLD MUTUAL TROPHY WINE SHOW
Winner of the Old Mutual International Judges’ Trophy: Charles Hopkins of De Grendel with Joy Khaole of Old Mutual
The Fairbairn Capital Trophy for the Most Successful Producer: KWV SA
The Old Mutual Trophy for Best Red Wine: Eikendal Classique 2009
The Old Mutual Trophy for Best White Wine: KWV The Mentors Chardonnay 2011
The Old Mutual International Judges’ Trophy: De Grendel Shiraz 2010
The Old Mutual Trophy for Best Sparkling Wine (Méthode Cap Classique): Villiera Woolworths Vintage Reserve Brut 2007
The Old Mutual Trophy for Best Dessert Wine (unfortified): Delheim Edelspatz Noble Late Harvest 2011
The Old Mutual Discovery of the Show: Secret Cellar Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (Ultra Liquors)
The American Express Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon: Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
The British Airways Comair Trophy for Best Shiraz: Painted Wolf Shiraz 2009
The Grande Roche Trophy for Best White Blend: Thelema Sutherland Viognier Roussanne 2009
The Harold Eedes Trophy for Best Chenin Blanc: Tokara Chenin Blanc 2009
The Miele Trophy for Best Chardonnay: KWV The Mentors Chardonnay 2011
The Riedel Trophy for Best Bordeaux-style Red Blend: Eikendal Classique 2009
The Tony Mossop Trophy for Best Cape Port: Axe Hill Cape Vintage 2009
The Best Museum Class Chenin Blanc: Jordan Chenin Blanc 2007
The Best Merlot: La Bri Merlot 2010
The Best Pinotage: Rijk’s Private Cellar Pinotage 2008
The Best Pinot Noir: Chamonix Pinot Noir Reserve 2010
The Best Sauvignon Blanc (wooded): Nederburg Two Centuries Sauvignon Blanc 2009
The Best Sauvignon Blanc (unwooded): Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2010
The Best Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Blend: Vergelegen GVB 2010
The Best Museum Class Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Blend: Vergelegen 2007
The Best Semillon: Ormonde Ondine Semillon 2010
The Best Museum Class Semillon: Cape Point Vineyards Semillon 2008
The Best Museum Class White Blend: Lomond Snowbush 2008
The Best Museum Class Fortified Wine: KWV Reserve Port 1929
Winner of the Old Mutual Discovery of the Show Trophy: Mark Norrish of Ultra Liquors with Joy Khaole of Old Mutual.
OTHER GOLD MEDAL WINNERS:
Boschendal Wines Boschendal 1685 Shiraz 2009
Buitenverwachting Buitenverwachting Sauvignon Blanc Husseys Vlei 2011
Deetlefs Wines Deetlefs Estate Pinotage 2010
Dombeya Wines Dombeya Altus 2007
Du Preez Estate Hendrik Lodewyk Méthode Cap Classique NV
Eikendal Vineyards Eikendal Chardonnay 2011
Fable Fable Jackal Bird 2010
Fleur du Cap – Die Bergkelder Fleur du Cap Chardonnay Unfiltered 2011
Fleur du Cap – Die Bergkelder Fleur du Cap Noble Late Harvest 2010
Le Joubert Le Joubert 1070 2009
Manley Private Cellar Manley Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Nuy Winery Nuy Red Muscadel 1989
Nuy Winery Nuy White Muscadel 1997
Remhoogte Wine Estate Remhoogte “Honeybunch” Reserve Chenin Blanc 2011
Rustenberg Wines Rustenberg Five Soldiers 2010
Steenberg Vineyards Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2011
Stellenzicht Stellenzicht Golden Triangle Pinotage 2010
Strandveld Vineyards Strandveld Adamastor 2010
Sumaridge Estate Wines Sumaridge Chardonnay 2010
A full set of results including the Silver and Bronze medals and a transcript of the judges’ feedback session are available on the disk; and on www.trophywineshow.co.za.
* Chartered accountants PKF monitored the judging procedures at the 2012 Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show and audited the competition results. Throughout the judging the identity of the wines was withheld from all the tasters, including the Show Chairman. No one judge was in a position to impose a result upon a majority of the panellists and declarations of interest have been received from all the judges as well as the associate judges.
2012 Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show Public Tastings
218 Trophy, Gold and Silver and some Museum Class medal winning wines will be presented at public tastings in Cape Town and Johannesburg:
Johannesburg: Friday 8 June 2012 * 18h00 to 21h00 – Sandton Sun, Maroela Ballroom
Cape Town: Friday 15 June 2012 * 17h00 to 20h30 – CTICC Ballroom
Ticket Sales: Tickets from computicket and at the door, R120 per person.
www.computicket.com or call 0861 915 8000, or 011 340 8000.
Wine Sales: Wines can be ordered via MAKRO at the shows, with delivery to your door.
Follow us on Facebook or Twitter: #OMTWS ; @omtrophywines
Photography: Shawn Benjamin
Fleur Du Cap Strikes Gold Twice At Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show
Fleur du Cap has clinched two gold medals at the 2012 Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show, one of South Africa’s most prestigious and highly contested wine competitions, for the legendary Noble Late Harvest 2010 and the 2011 Unfiltered Chardonnay.
One of South Africa’s iconic dessert wines, the 2010 vintage of the much lauded Fleur du Cap Noble Late Harvest stole the limelight last year as the 5th consecutive vintage to achieve a 5-star rating in Platter’s South African Wines and the only wine to achieve this remarkable feat. A gorgeous blend of Chenin blanc, Semillon and Muscat, Fleur du Cap Noble Late Harvest 2010 shows beautiful honey and pineapple aromas with spicy notes and whiffs of dusty botrytis. Dried apricot and peach meld with well-balanced acidity on the palate ending in a long lingering finish.
Fleur du Cap’s award winning Unfiltered range also consistently delivers gold medallists on both the local and international stages. The lightly oaked Fleur du Cap Unfiltered Chardonnay 2011 has a delightful fruity palate and fresh acidity complemented by vanilla and wood spices.
Both these winning wines are crafted at Die Bergkelder by winemaker Pieter Badenhorst, who heads up the white wine team supported by Cellarmaster Andrea Freeborough with grapes meticulously selected from prized vineyards nurtured by viticulturist Bennie Liebenberg.
The Fleur du Cap Noble Late Harvest 2010 and the Fleur du Cap Unfiltered Chardonnay 2011 are available at selected boutique wine shops or directly from Die Bergkelder and sell at R115 and R95 respectively. For more information visit www.fleurducap.co.za, fleurducap.tumblr.com or join the Fleur du Cap Facebook community.
