Their 2004 maiden vintage was released in 2006 and quickly grabbed the attention of world-renowned wine writers. Definitive wine publication Wine Spectator scored this maiden vintage an unprecedented 93 points in 2006 - the highest rating ever given to a Bordeaux blend from South Africa and the top scoring red wine from South Africa that year. Following vintages continued this trend and scored similarly for four consecutive years. Last year, the 2007 vintage was included in Wine Spectator’s list of Top Wines from South Africa, while also making the inaugural Top 100 SA Wines listing. The 2008 vintage outranked other local wines to achieve the top score of 96 in Robert Parker’s 2011 Independent Consumer’s Guide to Fine Wines. With 97 points, the 2008 also recently outscored the other six South African wines included in the elite World of First Growth listing of the international private members club, The Parmigiani White Club. In addition, British wine writer and critic Neal Martin from The Wine Advocate acclaimed this vintage as the most memorable wine in the world for 2011. According to Bruwer Raats, the MR de Compostella has validated their vision vintage after vintage. “We wanted to create an exceptional wine that would stand out in this category and are absolutely thrilled to receive local recognition from the Platter wine guide for our 2009 vintage. Only 62 wines received a 5-star rating, so it is definitely a great accomplishment,” mentions Raats. For more information, visit www.raats.co.za.