This year’s Cape White Blend Report sponsored by multinational financial services company Prescient attracted 27 entries and these were tasted blind (labels out of sight) by a three-person panel, scoring done according to the 100-point quality scale. The Top 10 - wines that scored 91 points and above - is as follows:
Top 10
94 Points
93 Points
92 Points
91 Points
Cape White Blends make for an important, if niche, category. No official definition exists but our proposal is that such wines can be made from any combination of varieties as long as they include a significant Chenin Blanc component, specifically more than 15% and less than 85% - Chenin is our most planted variety by far (16 827ha in the ground at the end of 2021, this making up 18.6% of the national vineyard) and we should find ways to celebrate it.
“What makes the category so interesting is precisely the lack of a formulaic approach, winemakers seeking out vineyards of interest and then letting their imaginations run wild as to which varieties to combine with one another,” says Christian Eedes, chairman of the tasting panel and Winemag.co.za editor.
To read the report in full, including key findings, tasting notes for the top wines and scores on the 100-point quality scale for all wines entered, visit Winemag.co.za.