Pieter-Niel Rossouw, cellarmaster at Durbanville Hills.
The accolade was awarded to the 2024 Durbanville Hills The Tangram White, a Sauvignon Blanc-led blend with a touch of Semillon, in Atkin’s 2026 South Africa Special Report, which also saw a total of seven of the cellar’s wines achieving 90 points or higher.
The landmark score places Durbanville Hills among a select group of South African wine producers to achieve the 95-point benchmark in Atkin’s latest assessment, while the depth of the results provides an even stronger endorsement of the estate’s growing reputation for quality and consistency.
The 95-point The Tangram White 2024 leads a formidable line-up, followed by The Tangram Red Blend 2024 at 93 points. The Collectors’ Reserve The Cape Garden Chenin Blanc 2025 and The Cape Mist Sauvignon Blanc 2025 each scored 92 points, while The Castle of Good Hope Cabernet Sauvignon 2024 achieved 91 points. The Lighthouse Merlot 2024 and The Promenade Pinotage 2024 each received 90 points.
For Durbanville Hills cellarmaster Pieter-Niel Rossouw, the results mark a significant moment for both the winery and the Durbanville wine region.
“To receive our first-ever 95-point score from Tim Atkin MW is an incredibly proud moment for everyone at Durbanville Hills. But what makes the result particularly meaningful is the depth across the portfolio, with seven wines scoring 90 points or higher,” says Rossouw. “It is a powerful affirmation of our winemaking and viticulture, and of what is possible from the unique terroir of Durbanville.”
The Tangram White: a story of sustained excellence
The latest recognition for The Tangram White comes on the back of an exceptional run of accolades for the wine, cementing its position as one of the standout expressions of the Durbanville Hills cellar.
The 2024 vintage had already earned a coveted five-star rating in the 2026 edition of Platter’s South African Wine Guide, while the 2023 Tangram White was awarded gold and 96 points at the 2025 Decanter World Wine Awards, placing it among the top six Sauvignon Blanc wines in the world. It was also the only South African Sauvignon Blanc selected for the international top-six line-up.
The 2023 vintage continued its winning streak at the 2025 Investec Trophy Wine Show, where it earned gold, 97 points and a Top Ten overall placing.
Now, with the 2024 vintage receiving 95 points from Atkin, The Tangram White has demonstrated that its performance is not confined to a single standout vintage, but reflects a consistent commitment to quality from one vintage to the next.
“What is particularly exciting about the 95 points for the 2024 Tangram White is that it follows such a strong run of recognition for the 2023 vintage,” says Rossouw. “The Decanter and Investec results gave us tremendous confidence, while the five-star Platter’s rating and now this 95-point score from Tim Atkin MW show that we are building consistency from one vintage to the next. That is an achievement we value enormously.”
Seven wines above 90 points
While The Tangram White provides the headline, Durbanville Hills believes the broader Atkin results tell an equally important story.
The seven 90-plus scores span the estate’s premium portfolio and include both white and red varieties.
For Durbanville Hills, this breadth of recognition is particularly valuable when communicating with international markets. While a prestigious score for one wine can create a headline, multiple 90-plus ratings provide evidence of consistency across the portfolio and give importers, buyers, sommeliers and consumers a broader reason to explore the estate.
“From an international perspective, seven 90-plus wines give us a very strong story to take to the market,” says Rossouw. “It demonstrates that quality is not limited to one wine or one variety. There is real depth across our portfolio, and that gives our international partners confidence in what Durbanville Hills represents.”
The expression of a cool-climate terroir
At the heart of Durbanville Hills’ wines is the distinctive character of its home valley. Situated close to the Atlantic Ocean, Durbanville benefits from cooling maritime influences that contribute to the freshness, natural acidity and distinctive varietal expression for which the region has become known.
The Tangram collection, in particular, provides an opportunity to interpret this terroir through carefully selected grapes and considered blending.
“Our philosophy has always been about allowing the character of Durbanville to speak through the wines,” says Rossouw. “The climate gives us freshness, but it is what we do with that fruit in the cellar that turns it into wines with complexity and personality. These results tell us that the message is resonating well beyond our own region.”
From Durbanville to the world
The significance of the 95-point rating extends beyond the pages of Atkin’s report. As one of the wines receiving the coveted score of 95+, The Tangram White 2024 will be included in Atkin’s upcoming public tasting in London in 2027, placing the Durbanville Hills flagship blend directly in front of an international audience of wine professionals and enthusiasts.
The wine also featured at Atkin’s public South Africa tastings on 31 August and 1 and 2 September, alongside other highly rated South African wines.
South African wine lovers can also experience the highly rated latest vintage for themselves. The Tangram White 2024 is available from the Durbanville Hills website at R300 per bottle (while stock lasts).
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