Friday, 15 September, 2017
Steenberg Vineyards
Breaking the venerable 90+ barrier across their entire range with five white wines, four reds and three Méthode Cap Classiques, is testament to Steenberg’s resolute focus on quality and consistency in expressing their terroir.
Top scorer on 94/100, is the Steenberg flagship white blend, Magna Carta 2016. Next up amongst the whites is Steenberg Semillon 2016 on 93, with Rattlesnake and Black Swan 2016 Sauvignon Blancs both on 92 points, and the estate Sauvignon Blanc 2017 on 91.
Leading the pack for the red wines with 93 points, are Steenberg Catharina 2015 and Nebbiolo 2015, followed by 2015 Merlot and Syrah both on 92.
Steenberg’s grande cuvée, Lady R 2012, is top of the pops with 93 points amongst the Steenberg MCC’s , with both the 1682 Chardonnay and 1682 Pinot Noir scoring 91.
Atkin, a British Master of Wine and accomplished wine commentator with extensive experience when it comes to the South African vineyard, tasted almost 1 700 local wines for his 2017 Special Report, now in its fifth year.
Atkin’s score of 94 points for the Steenberg Magna Carta for two consecutive vintages underpins the standing of this phenomenal blend of Sauvignon Blanc (60%) and Semillon (40%) as a South African benchmark wine. “A delicious, barrel-fermented white showing fresh herb and grapefruit flavours, subtle vanilla spice and a creamy mid palate,” is how Atkin describes the 2016 vintage.
His tasting notes for the top Steenberg reds on 93 points are: “Leafy, chocolatey flavours segue into a grassy, smoothly oaked finish,” for the Merlot driven Catharina 2015, and “...this really tastes like Nebbiolo... with rose petal, red fruit and fennel notes and grippy tannins,” for the Nebbiolo 2015.
Atkin had this to say about his top scoring Steenberg MCC, Lady R 2012: “...quite a restrained style, with subtle spice, a hint of oak and yeasty, savoury concentration.”
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