Delheim Wine Estate in the Simonsberg ward of Stellenbosch secured one 96-point and three 94-point ratings in the latest South African Report by Tim Atkin MW, one of the world’s leading wine critics. For 12 years, Atkin has specialised in South African wine and published his annual report. See all the wines that rated 91+ points:
- Delheim Edelspatz Noble Late Harvest - 96 pts
- Delheim Grand Reserve 2021 - 94 pts
- Delheim Hammel Staying Alive Riesling 2023 - 94 pts
- Delheim Vera Cruz Pinotage 2021 - 94 pts
- Delheim Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 - 93 pts
- Delheim Chenin Blanc Wild Ferment 2023 - 91 pts
- Delheim Chardonnay Sur Lie 2022 - 91 pts
About the top performing Delheim wines
Grand Reserve 2021
Lotriet says he and his team are especially pleased to see two Delheim red wines moving into 94pt Tim Atkin territory. “This is revered space, and now puts the Delheim Grand Reserve 2021 among the top red wine offerings from Stellenbosch and other leading regions committed to Cabernet Sauvignon-based blends,” he says. “First released in 1981, the Grand Reserve was part of Cape producers’ first foray into the realm of blended wines from classic Bordeaux varieties and spearheaded a sector that has become one of the strongest and most reputable segments of South African wine.”
Delheim Edelspatz Noble Late Harvest - Botrytis Riesling
According to Roelof Lotriet, Delheim cellarmaster, the perennial Tim Atkin recognition for the winery’s Riesling noble late harvest Edelspatz underscores the consistency of this wine’s status as one of the leading natural sweet wines in South Africa. “As those reading the Tim Atkin Report will see, 96pts is a terrific score and represents the Cape wine industry's crème de la crème. It is great for the Edelspatz to be there, especially for the Delheim brand, which has been making estate wine for over six decades.”
Staying Alive Riesling 2023
This Riesling, made in collaboration with German winemaker Christoph Hammel, saw the 2022 vintage launched in April 2023.
Roelof Lotriet, who partnered with Christoph in making the Staying Alive, says both parties agreed that the idea was to create a Riesling in style termed in Germany as “non-traditional”, implying more fruit in the wine and lesser reliance on the terpene character associated with many traditional versions of wines made from this variety.
This wine is the culmination of a four-decade friendship between Christoph Hammel, the ninth-generation winemaker at Wine Estate Hammel, and the Sperlings of Delheim, where Christoph cut his winemaking teeth under Delheim patriarch Spatz Sperling in the 1980s.
Delheim Vera Cruz Pinotage 2021
The 94pt rating for the Vera Cruz Pinotage not only honours the quality of Delheim Pinotage, but also the fact that – as can be seen in the case of the Grand Reserve’s accolade – 2021 is coming to the fore as one of the great Stellenbosch vintages. “It truly was a great year for red wine, especially from the Stellenbosch region, and the Tim Atkin Report emphasizes this,” says Lotriet.
“And just as is the case with our two other top-scoring wines, Pinotage is part of the legacy of Delheim – our first bottling was way back in 1960. Delheim is thus very proud to be a part of the older, traditional Cape producers featured in the Tim Atkin Report because the older estates with provenance and tradition paved the way to where the industry is today.”