The waiting is over, the results are out, and Robertson Wine Valley members have, once again, brought home an impressive number and range of awards from the 2019 Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards.
As in 2018, one winery scored one of the coveted Trophies for top-scoring wines: this year it was Rooiberg, for their outstanding Cape Blend 2015. This Pinotage/Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon blend - a delicious, fruit-driven wine with accessible tannins from an outstanding vintage - is a worthy winner and Rooiberg expressed their pleasure as follows:
“What a proud moment! [For] Rooiberg, known for our Pinotage, winning the best Cape blend trophy is an absolute honour. Hard work, dedication and passion created this winning wine that was also a finalist at the 2019 ABSA Cape blend competition.”
Rooiberg was also awarded a glittering clutch of gold for a further five entries, being their 2019 Chardonnay, 2017 Pinotage Reserve, 2019 Sauvignon Blanc, 2017 Shiraz Reserve and 2016 The Game Reserve Shiraz.
Two cellars succeeded in attracting Platinum, being De Wetshof for the 2016 The Site chardonnay, barrel-fermented from the estate’s oldest single block, and offering great ageing potential and Zandvliet Muscat 2018, a white natural sweet, a crisp and low-alcohol dessert gem that offers mandarin and dried apricot on the palate.
Chardonnay champions De Wetshof remarked on the success of the cultivar in this years contest:
“These international accolades for Chardonnay, such as through the Michelangelo Awards, underscore the world-class quality of South African Chardonnay. Besides the Platinum award De Wetshof received, the competition’s top-scoring wine was a Chardonnay (Groot Constantia), making this the most successful grape variety at this year’s Michelangelo Awards. The quality of South African Chardonnay has never been higher than now. Although its history in this country only goes back four decades, Chardonnay has shown itself as having found a true home at the southern tip of Africa producing distinctive wines with a true sense of place. As a pioneer of Chardonnay in South Africa, De Wetshof is proud to have played a role in creating this pedigree for the world’s greatest white variety, and I believe South Africa’s best is still to come.”
These two cellars added to their tally with a gold for De Wetshof’s Finesse Chardonnay 2018 and silver for their Lilya Rose 2019, while Zandvliet scored Double Gold for the Hill of Enon Small Berry Pick 2017, a basket-pressed Shiraz.
Double Golds will add classy shine to the winners from the following five cellars: Bon Courage for The Gooseberry Bush Sauvignon Blanc 2019, Rietvallei for Estéanna Sauvignon Blanc 2018, Excelsior for both the Evanthius Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 and Evanthius Sauvignon Blanc 2019, Kranskop for their 2018 chardonnay and Viljoensdrift River Grandeur Cabernet Sauvignon 2015.
Both recent and long-established boutique and large producers scored gold with their entries. They are 2019 Quando Sauvignon Blanc , 4Barrel Shiraz 2017 (Langverwacht), Inkará Shiraz 2017 and Red Muscadel 2019 from Bon Courage, Chardonnay Limited Release 2018 (Ashton Winery), Class 25 2016 from Kleinhoekkloof, Excelsior Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Kranskop MCT 2015, La Bonne Vigne Sauvignon Blanc 2019 (Langeberg Associated Wineries) Langverwacht Sauvignon Blanc 2019, The chardonnay 2019, Pinotage 2018, the Golden Shower Chardonnay 2018 and Shiraz 2018 all from McGregor Wine Company, Paul René MCC Brut (Langeberg Associated Wineries) and River Collection Merlot 2017 from Bonnievale Wines.
The impressive medal tally finishes with eight more valley wines attracting Silver : these are: Bon Courage Andrés’s Fame Colombard 2019, Bushmanspad Estate Malbec 2017, Lord’s Wines MCC Brut NV, Quando Mourvèdre Rosé 2019, Rietvallei Chenin Blanc 2018, Bonnievale Wines River Collection Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2017, their River Collection Chenin Blanc 2019 and their The Vale Cinsault Rosé Brut N/A .
From small beginnings in 1997, t he Michelangelo Awards have developed into the largest wine and spirits competition on the African continent, using judges sourced from across seven continents, including several well-known South African experts. Entries were judged blind by panels of five or six, using the 100-point international recognised judging system.