Spier hauls in the medals at Decanter World Wine Awards

Spier Creative Block 3 2010, a Rhône-style blend created from Shiraz, Mourvèdre and Viognier, won a gold medal, earning praise at the awards for its "composed and integrated" palate with its "layers of fruits, herbs and tobacco" and "fantastic length".

Spier Creative Block 5 2010, a Bordeaux-style red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot earned silver, while the Spier Vintage Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2012 was awarded bronze.

Both Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2011 and the Spier Creative Block 2 2012 (a white Bordeaux-style blend created from about 80% Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon) attained Commended medals.

The annual Decanter World Wine Awards was established in 2004 by the London-based Decanter - one of the world's most illustrious wine magazines, which is read in more than 90 countries. This year more than 14,000 wines were tasted at the awards - including 820 from South Africa - by a panel composed of more than 200 wine merchants, sommeliers, authors and journalists from 27 countries. The rigorous judging process involved grouping wines according to country, region, colour, grape, style, vintage, and price so that wines are being evaluated against their peers. Each wine was tasted blind.