Diners Club Young Winemaker of the Year finalists announced

Now in its 33rd year, the Diners Club Winemaker of the Year Awards is regarded as the country’s most prestigious and well-respected wine industry competition. The Young Winemaker of the Year Award was introduced thirteen years ago to encourage winemakers under the age of 30 to develop their skills, express their individuality, and to add to the future prestige of South African wines internationally.

The category for the 2013 Young Winemaker of the Year award was dry white wines (unfortified), and the finalists are:

Murray Barlow – Rustenberg Wines

Hendrien de Munck – Longridge Wynlandgoed

Attie Louw – Opstal Estate

Emile van der Merwe – Vondeling

Narina Cloete – Quoin Rock

David Sadie – Lemberg

Descriptions of these wines follow:

RUSTENBERG CHARDONNAY 2012

Very attractive, sweet fruited nose with complex fermentation aromas with citrus, melon and light oak support. Vibrant, fresh acidity in the mouth with layers of flavour following the nose and grapefruit becoming more apparent. Creamy flow across the palate. Lots of potential to develop over a number of years to come.

LONGRIDGE CHARDONNAY 2012

Perfume leads the nose followed by white flowers and toasty nuts. Hints of vanilla. Good spectrum of ripe fruit flavours in the mouth with white peach and hints of citrus. Fine acidic backbone gives good grip. Lots of potential to develop.

OPSTAL ESTATE CARL EVERSON CHENIN BLANC 2012

Nose bursting with fresh, ripe, tropical fruits with green apple and fresh cut grass. Guava and granadilla come into play and feature in the ripe, fruited mouth. Crisp, fresh acidity gives all the flavours a lift. Long lasting finish. Delightful now.

VONDELING SIGNAL CANON CHENIN BLANC 2013

Impressive nose with complex meld of tropical fruit where guava and citrus predominate. All follows through to a delightfully smooth but vibrant palate. Good fullness of body with some well-developed characters that add complexity. Delightful now and in the near future.

QUOIN ROCK NICOBAR SAUVIGNON BLANC 2012

Nose opens with delightful blast of fresh sauvignon with gooseberry and lime and hint of fynbos. Big, full, complex mouth with deep mineral core and firm acidity. Needs time to show its full potential. Gentle hint of fine oak adds further complexity. Gorgeous now, yet has ample potential to still develop.

LEMBERG LADY 2012

Nose opens with delightful wafts of apricot and ripe peach. Hints of green grass in the background and some fig and underlying spicy perfume. Fairly full in the mouth with good weight and length. Good acid balance. Altogether a very different wine that deserves to be recognised. Delightful now yet has legs to develop.

Anticipation is running high for the announcement of both the Diners Club Young Winemaker of the Year and the Diners Club Winemaker of the Year. South Africa’s top wine industry leaders and Diners Club guests will attend the black tie gala awards ceremony to be held at the La Residence Hotel in Franschhoek on 30 November 2013.

Caption for picture:

From left to right: Narina Cloete from Quoin Rock, David Sadie from Lemberg, Hendrien de Munck from Longridge, Emile van der Merwe from Vondeling, in front Attie Louw from Opstal, absent Murray Barlow from Rustenberg.