NOW CELEBRATING NINE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL YEARS. Budget conscious wine lovers get the perfect, definitive list: The best value wines in South Africa.
Delicious wines, perfect for everyday enjoyment. Proudly brought to you by SA’s long standing ‘best value’ competition.
The Ultra Value Wine Challenge (UVC) identifies the very best wines that sell for under R130 a bottle. It is that simple. Wine lovers again get that special first prize: A trusted list of best quality, best-priced wines. Winning wines are available today so this information is current and immediately useful.
The UVC continues to be the favourite choice for quality, value-driven producers and vineyards. Leaders of this category have all built enviable QPR reputations.
Robin von Holdt reviews the 2023 Ultra Value Wine Challenge
General
Wine lovers are spoilt once more for delicious drinking treats! With summer in full swing and Christmas on the horizon, the timing is perfect. The stellar list of top quality budget conscious wines offers mouth-watering treats. Fruity reds, crisp fresh whites, wines with good structure, celebratory bubblies, lip-smacking rosés and some delicious sweet wines are all on offer. Judges ensured winning wines offer gorgeous flavours for immediate enjoyment. All wines are cost-conscious treats, mostly R50 – R80 a bottle. Wine lovers can continue to enjoy their lifestyles without emptying their wallets.
This price-conscious category gets strong support from producers and family vineyards. Wine industry enthusiasm endorses the key ‘price’ principle. The Ultra Value Challenge supports wineries who have committed to attractive pricing without compromising top quality. The UVC identifies best value wines according to a specific combination of wine quality and bottle price.
Delicious, value-for-money winners. Wine lovers and wineries celebrate success together.
Our grateful thanks go to both loyal supporters as well as to first time entrants.
Our congratulations go to all of the producers of these fine winning wines. They put so much effort into making delicious wines at great prices. Well done!
Quality
Ripe fruit, fresher styles and less wood make for friendly styles. Judges were of the views that vineyard work continues to improve allowing for better fruit quality. A pleasing experience with generally excellent results. Yet as is always the case, a number of wines simply did not pass the quality threshold.
Judging
The very experienced judges again assessed each and every wine with due diligence and care. Wines were all tasted ‘blind’ and in similar flights. Judging panels were vigilant, seeking positives while maintaining rigour. Even-handed reviews are always encouraged and sought. The fine set of results are made public for the first time today. These fully represent the judges commitment to finding wine lovers the best value, best quality wines in South Africa right now.
Really lovely wines were identified, gaining recognition and winning an award. They are terrifically enjoyable and many are really unmissable. The initial hurdle is always to identify top quality. A number of wines did not pass this test as is always the case. Thereafter, the algorithm that takes price into account, in order to arrive at the value-adjusted final result, saw another layer of wines fall aside.
Double Gold, Gold and Silver medal victories are truly deserved and these are special wines. Winning wineries and their tremendously skilled teams can be justifiably proud of their achievements. Awards were confirmed by the independent review. These are the definitive 2023 best value results.
Ginette De Fleuriot
Sauvignon Blanc comment: A few classics – true to character, varietal typicity, good acidity, fresh with mid-palate interest. There should however be more expression from a flight of such an aromatic variety. Pleasing however, was that the wines were generally not too green with pyrazines in check.
Pinotage comment: An interesting mix – some with dominance of charry, smokey oak of staves. Others a little lightweight and thin. However others enjoyed with real presence, typical Pinotage character of berry compote, brambly fruit, integrated tannins and clear maturation potential. A variety that can and does perform well in the value class.
Merlot comment: A good selection of fruity edged wines. Some managed to show fresh, tannic ripeness. The best had a little more density and length.
White Blends comment: Great value as a category and a range of varieties & styles to choose from. Expressive, satisfying wines with good fruit, freshness and balance.
Statistics
Judging standards applied are stringent. Often tougher than those applied at International levels. This means that around 50% of entered wines achieved an award. The prestige of each winning wine is acknowledged without question. Thus, another great set of results has been achieved. Of all the wines entered, rigorous judging saw 10% of wines gain Double Gold Medal awards. Gold Medals were awarded to18% of wines while Silver Medal awards went to 22%. A strictly judged event, awards were well earned and well deserved.
Double Gold Awards went to a total of 33 wines: 9 red wines, 16 white wines, 4 rosés, 3 semi sweet wines, and 1 Cap Classique cracked the all-important nod.
Red wines: Cabernet Sauvignon dominated with 4 wins and Pinotage gained 2 wins.
White wines: Chenin Blanc again led the field, scoring a total of 6 awards. Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay both gained 3 wins each.
Rose cracked 4 wins, Semi sweet wines gained 3 wins and MCC gained a single win. Scores achieved were all 90/100 or higher with the highest score this year again achieving a remarkable 99/100.
Gold Awards went to a meagre 58 wines. Red wines achieved 22 positions while white wines gained 23 wins. Rosé wines achieved 4 awards. Fortified and semi-sweet categories both achieved 3 wins while MCC achieved 2 awards.
Red wines: Merlot gained 6 wins. Cabernet gained a total of 5 wins. Shiraz managed 4 wins as did Other Red Blends.
White wines: Chenin trumped the category again this year with 9 victories. Chardonnay managed 6 wins while Sauvignon gained 4 wins.
This Gold Award category winning wines achieved a score of between 86 and 89/100 once again, consistent with the last 3 years.
Silver Awards were credited to 73 participating wines. 37 awards went to red wines. 20 awards went to white wines. Rosé & Sparkling wines achieved 5 awards each, while Semi Sweet resulted in 4 wins and Fortified achieved just 1 award.
Red wines: Pinotage led with 11 victories. Shiraz and Other Red Blends each gained 8 awards while Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon each achieved 4 wins. Bordeaux Blends gained 2 awards & Other Red Cultivars a single win.
White wines: Sauvignon Blanc stampeded into victory with a total of 12 wins. Chenin gained 7 awards while Chardonnay went on to gain just 1 award.
Overall, the award allocation was as follows for the 2023 Ultra Value Wine Challenge:
Red wines gained 69 awards. White wines gained 59 awards. Rosé wines achieved 13 medals. Sparkling was awarded 8 medals. Natural Sweet and Semi Sweet wine categories won 4 awards each. Fortified wines managed to win 2 awards.
Major award winners won by cultivar:
Red Wines: Remarkably there was a tie between Other Red Blends, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon & Pinotage who all achieved 13 awards each. Merlot 11 wins.
White wines: Chenin Blanc managed to just gain the top slot with 22 awards. Sauvignon Blanc achieved 19 awards. Chardonnay gained 10 awards.
Vintages
Wines from vintages 2019 to 2023 were winners in this year’s competition. The majority of these were from 2023 with a total of 73 wins. 2022 had 35 winners. 2021 had 24 winners. 2020 had 6 winners. 2019 vintage had 4 wins. Non-Vintage wines accounted for 20 winning wines.
With regards to results by vintage for Double Gold winners: 2023 cracked the winning number of 20 top awards. This was followed by 2022 with 4 wins. Non-vintage winners accounted for 4 wins as well. Vintage 2020 gained 3 wins and 2021 gained 2 wins.
Evan Alexander
Cabernet Sauvignon comment: Whilst most wines reflected Cabernet Sauvignon flavours and were very clean, a few were inherently a bit simple. The best managed to flesh out mid-palate and show complexity.
Sparkling comment: A diffuse selection, where the better examples held a tighter acid / fruit balance, more persistent mousse. Sparkling Muscat’s showed well.
Other Red Blends comment: Nice array of styles, broad base using variety of cultivars. Some great wines with ripe, juicy fruit, good palate weight, concentration and the tannic backbone to support. Not too many over-oaked and none over-extracted. A great category.
Other Red Cultivars comment: A few good examples of soft, fresh, easy-drinking but well balanced tannins & integrated acidity.
Gareth Robertson
Other White Cultivars comment: Viognier was a real treat! A pity it was a smaller flight.
Rosé comment: A number of beautiful wines with appealing stone fruit, red appletiser flavours & aromas, delicacy but poise and freshness. Generally well-made with sufficient consumer appeal.
Semi –Sweet / Off-Dry comment: The more fragrant notes stood out and seem to be nicely balanced with the acidity and sugar.
Fortified comment: Some wines of note that managed to capture pretty notes that worked well with the enhanced sweetness.
Richard Kershaw
Chenin Blanc comment: A strong flight with plenty of deliciously drinking Chenins with good fruit intensity. Whilst a few were a little simple with one-dimensional flavours. The best had complex nuances, juicy fruit and balanced with crescendo of acidity.
Shiraz comment: The flight was well-made, balanced, structured with integration and typical black fruit and spicy notes. Would have liked more of these, as dark fruit & plushness should not be hard to achieve in Shiraz flight even at entry - level price points. Some just lacking a little on the mid-palate. Expected more of the flight to be rewarded for juicy fruit and presence.
Chardonnay comment: There were plenty of fruit forward styles that used the level of acidity rather than oak to shine.
Bordeaux Blend Red comment: Classical styles that are accessible came through good quality of ripe fruit. Integrated tannins on the best wines meant they slipped down smoothly without blunting the finish.
Ultra Value Challenge celebrates the special awards
Vineyard consistency awards
A characteristic that underpins, globally, all great vineyards and their high-quality wines, is the consistent achievement of benchmark accolades. This categorical fact, one proven only with time, has meant that the UVC Challenge now also assesses and awards top ranking vineyards. They have to have proved to be top-ranked, throughout the 9 years of this value-wine competitions history. At this stage over the full nine year period, there are now five vineyards in leading positions with between 65 and 104 winning wines. This is a brilliant performance! A remarkable endorsement of each winners vineyards, their cellar teams, as well as their wine making skills and abilities.
We are thrilled to congratulate the following winners:
Alvi's Drift Private Cellar - First place
Nicholson Smith Agencies - Second place
Accolade Wines SA - Third place
Robertson Winery - Fourth place
Koelenhof Wynkelder - Fifth place
Wine of the Year Award: A red, white, sweet and Cap Classique/sparkling wine
The professional judges are able to identify these standouts during the evaluation process, those four individual wines that stand apart from every other wine. One white wine, one red wine, one sweet wine & one Sparkling only. These four wines that each achieve the single highest judged score during the competition.
We are pleased to congratulate:
Red Wine of the Year: Stellenbosch Hills Merlot 2020
White Wine of the Year: McGregor Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2023
Sparkling Wine of the Year: De Krans Moscato Rosé 2023
Sweet Wine of the Year: Robertson Winery Beaukett 2023
The additional level of recognition and endorsement that these unique achievements bring to vineyards, as well as to their wine making teams, is of tangible brand and commercial value and benefit. Each one of these awards offers a further enhancement of credibility and reputation, providing positive local market impact together with an enhanced global awareness and brand footprint. It also provides for differentiation of and recognition for their brands uniqueness and USPs.
The top 10 highest-scoring wines
- Roodezandt McGregor Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2023 99/100
- Robertson Winery Beaukett 2023 98/100
- Mount Vernon Unbelievable Dry White NV 96/100
- Landskroon Chenin Blanc 2023 95/100
- Robertson Winery Chapel White 2023 95/100
- Blue Owl Chardonnay 2023 94/100
- Stellenbosch Hills Merlot 2020 94/100
- De Krans Moscato Rosé 94/100
- Flagstone Poetry Pinotage 2022 94/100
- Flagstone Poetry Sauvignon Blanc 2023 94/100
Result summaries:
Double Gold medals: 33
Gold Medal winners: 58
Silver Medal winners: 72
Top multiple winning vineyards include:
Stellenview Premium Wines - 20 wins
Alvi's Drift Private Cellar - 16 wins
Van Loveren Family Vineyards - 13 wins
Robertson Winery - 12 wins
Nicholson Smith Agencies - 10 wins
Some industry comments from awarded vineyards follow:
Saxenberg
Fiona Bührer, proprietor: "At Saxenburg, our passion is creating incredible wines, from vineyard to glass. We're thrilled by our gold awards in the Ultra Value Wine Challenge, celebrating our Chenin Blanc and Bordeaux-style Red Blend from the Guinea Fowl collection. These wines, part of our mouthwatering lifestyle selection, are perfect for sipping or pairing with a delicious meal and enjoying treasured moments."
Montagu Wine & Spirits Co
Winemaker Henk Wentzel: "This was my first season in the cellar and also the first production of Verdelho for Montagu Wine and Spirits Company. I love working with this varietal because of the complex flavours from grape to wine. Winning awards for this maiden vintage is a great privilege and an inspiration to keep up the quality in years to come."
Leopard’s Leap
CEO Hein Koegelenberg : "Adding quality to everyday life is what Leopard’s Leap wines are all about. Recognition from the Ultra Value Wine Awards tells us that we are on track ensuring delicious quality at affordable prices. We believe one should always have a bottle of Leopard’s Leap on hand – for special occasions, but also to enjoy a lovely glass of wine, just because.”
Koelenhof
Winemaker, Nicholas Husselman: "Securing double gold in the Ultra Value Wine Competition is an absolute joy. With each sip, we taste the dedication and craftsmanship poured into this wine. It's a sweet triumph that celebrates our passion for winemaking. Cheers to the excellence of our journey!"
Robertson Winery
Rianco van Rooyen, cellarmaster: "Robertson Winery’s continual strive for quality wines as well as the agility of her producers and team of cellar workers are showcased in the results of the 2023 vintage wines that shone even though a years’ worth of rain fell during two weeks in harvest. We are pleased to be recognised as a consistent producer of wines that over deliver on value."
Spier
Johan Jordaan, cellarmaster: “The Signature brand of wines is made for everyday enjoyment with an intended hint of luxury to compliment that. We are very proud of these wines and the recognition it is receiving from the Challenge.“
Group CDV
Vry Burgher is the culmination of the efforts of a great winemaker Nicky Versfeld and an experienced and astute wine Producer and Negociant Rob Coppoolse. This is a well salted team that has the ability to select the right vineyards for the right product.
Ken Forrester
Ken Forrester, owner: “Whilst we strive to produce some of the best wines in the world we also are aware of the need for great everyday wine. Delicious wine to open and relax with while preparing a meal or chatting with friends, wines that offer awesome flavour without breaking the bank. These are the special wines that we offer with pride.“
Stellenbosch Hills
Charl Myburgh, winemaker: "We are absolutely delighted and humbled by the recognition bestowed upon us. Winning the title of 'Red Wine of the Year' in the esteemed Ultra Value Wine Challenge is a testament to our dedication to crafting exceptional wines at affordable prices. At Stellenbosch Hills, we take pride in producing wines of distinction that can be enjoyed by everyone. This achievement further motivates us to continue our pursuit of excellence in winemaking."
Accolade Wines
Gerhard Swart, head winemaker: “We are very pleased to see our Flagstone lifestyle range rewarded with 2 Double Golds and 3 Gold medals. We always aim to reward our customers with the best quality wines at every price point these awards are a confirmation of this.”
Roodezandt
Altus Theron, CEO: “The undiscovered jewel of McGregor Winery with surrounding vineyards is situated at the foothills of the Riviersonderend Mountains where the higher altitude makes it a cooler region to create the perfect environment for our grapes to thrive. The limestone soil gives the wine a unique character of balanced acidity and minerality. Here our producers and winemakers take hands crafting masterpieces from the vineyards to the bottle!
Where your road ends our story begins – one of discovery, adventure, and amazing wine!”
De Krans
Christoff de Wet, winemaker: “We at De Krans are very happy with these awards that we have received and it shows that a region that is famous for its Port style wines also make a beautiful classical range of fantastic dry wines with great value. Our Moscato Rose Perle 2023 sparkling wine did exceptionally well this year and I am very excited to say that it has been awarded as sparkling wine of the year for the second time in a row!!
I see De Krans as the biggest little winery in the Klein Karoo, a place to never expect a dull moment!”
The list of winning wines by award, in the order of their final scores, follow:
Double Gold medal winners
Roodezandt RF (Edms) Bpk McGregor Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2023 99/100
Robertson Winery Beaukett 2023 98/100
Mount Vernon Farm Unbelievable Dry White NV 96/100
Landskroon Wines Landskroon Chenin Blanc 2023 95/100
Robertson Winery Chapel White 2023 95/100
De Krans Moscato Rosé 2023 94/100
Allee Bleue Wines Blue Owl Chardonnay 2023 94/100
Stellenbosch Hills Merlot 2020 94/100
Accolade Wines SA Flagstone Poetry Pinotage 2022 94/100
Accolade Wines SA Flagstone Poetry Sauvignon Blanc 2023 94/100
Nicholson Smith Agencies Pandora's Box The Professor's Pinotage NV 93/100
Alvi's Drift Private Cellar Signature Chardonnay 2023 93/100
Boland Cellar Classic Selection Chenin Blanc 2023 93/100
Van Loveren Family Vineyards Rhino Run Red Blend 2020 93/100
Nicholson Smith Agencies Pandora's Box The Bell Pepper Cabernet Sauvignon NV 92/100
Stellenview Premium Wines Africa Five Sauvignon Blanc (Dutch) 2022 92/100
Koelenhof Wynkelder Koelenhoffer 2023 91/100
Mount Vernon Farm Unbelievable Semi Sweet NV 91/100
Van Loveren Family Vineyards Four Cousins Collection Chardonnay 2023 91/100
Leopard's Leap Wines Leopards Leap Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 91/100
Alvi's Drift Private Cellar Signature Pinotage Rosé 2023 90/100
Alvi's Drift Private Cellar Signature Viognier 2023 90/100
Cape Wine Company Juno Rose 2023 90/100
Ken Forrester Wines Petit Chenin 2023 90/100
Leopard's Leap Wines Leopards Leap Chardonnay Pinot Noir 2023 90/100
Montagu Wine and Spirits Company John Montagu Verdelho 2023 90/100
Opstal Estate Sixpence Sauvignon Blanc & Semillon 2023 90/100
Spier Wine Farm Spier Signature Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 90/100
uniWines Vineyards Meander Chenin Blanc 2023 90/100
uniWines Vineyards Meander Shiraz 2021 90/100
Stellenview Premium Wines Cape Discovery Rose 2020 90/100
Saronsberg Cellar Saronsberg Earth in Motion 2023 90/100
Van Loveren Family Vineyards Four Cousins Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 90/100
Gold medal winners
Alvi's Drift Private Cellar Rondebosch Chardonnay 2022 89/100
Group CDV (Pty) Ltd Vry Burgher Chardonnay 2023 89/100
Nicholson Smith Agencies Bob's Your Uncle Once In A Blue Moon Merlot 2022 89/100
Nicholson Smith Agencies Bob's Your Uncle A Perfect Storm Sauvignon Blanc NV 89/100
Saxenburg Guinea Fowl Chenin Blanc 2023 89/100
Boland Cellar Ahintof Vanilla Chardonnay 2023 89/100
Alvi's Drift Private Cellar 221 Chenin Blanc 2022 89/100
uniWines Vineyards Meander Malbec 2021 89/100
Mount Vernon Farm Unbelievable Rose NV 88/100
Van Loveren Family Vineyards My Best Friend Cape White 2023 88/100
Accolade Wines SA Flagstone Poetry Chardonnay 2023 88/100
Accolade Wines SA Flagstone Poetry Rose 2023 88/100
Leopard's Leap Wines Leopards Leap Merlot 2022 88/100
Robertson Winery Gewurztraminer 2022 88/100
Robertson Winery Chenin Blanc 2023 88/100
Leopard's Leap Wines Leopards Leap Chenin Blanc 2023 88/100
Stellenview Premium Wines Bonita Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 88/100
Van Loveren Red Muscadel 2023 88/100
Van Loveren Blanc de Blanc 2023 88/100
Van Loveren River Red Shiraz Pinotage 2022 88/100
Nicholson Smith Agencies Pandora's Box Lock 1855 Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon NV 88/100
Nicholson Smith Agencies Pandora's Box The Black Bird Merlot NV 88/100
Nicholson Smith Agencies Pandora's Box All Day Rose NV 88/100
Van Loveren Special Late Harvest Gewurztraminer 2023 88/100
Van Loveren Family Vineyards Four Cousins Collection Sauvignon Blanc 2023 88/100
Accolade Wines SA Flagstone Noon Gun White Blend 2023 87/100
Alvi's Drift Private Cellar Signature Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 87/100
Alvi's Drift Private Cellar Rondebosch Chenin Blanc 2023 87/100
Cape Wine Company Juno Shiraz Mourvedre Viognier 2022 87/100
Landskroon Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 87/100
Montagu Wine and Spirits Company John Montagu White Muscadel NV 87/100
Robertson Winery Ruby Cabernet 2022 87/100
Stellenview Premium Wines Africa Five Chenin Blanc 2022 87/100
Mount Vernon Farm Unbelievable Sweet Red NV 87/100
Nicholson Smith Agencies Aden's Star 2021 87/100
Stellenbosch Hills Shiraz 2020 87/100
Alvi's Drift Private Cellar Signature Shiraz 2021 87/100
Alvi's Drift Private Cellar Signature Chenin Blanc 2023 87/100
Landskroon Wines Landskroon Paul Hugo Red 2022 87/100
uniWines Vineyards Meander Moscato Wit NV 87/100
Koelenhof Wynkelder Koelenhof Pinotage Rosé Vin-Sec 2023 86/100
Le Pommier Wine Estate Le PommierMaraai Rose 2023 86/100
Leopard's Leap Wines Leopards Leap Sauvignon Blanc 2023 86
Opstal Estate Sixpence Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 86/100
Robertson Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 86/100
Roodezandt RF (Edms) Bpk McGregor Winery Colombard 2023 86/100
Saronsberg Cellar Saronsberg Shiraz Rose 2023 86/100
Saxenburg Guinea Fowl Red 2021 86/100
Spier Wine Farm Spier Signature Shiraz 2022 86/100
Stellenview Premium Wines Cape Discovery Chenin Blanc 2023 86/100
Stellenview Premium Wines Cape Discovery Lifestyle Sauvignon Blanc 2023 86/100
Van Loveren Family Vineyards Four Cousins Collection Merlot 2022 86/100
Ken Forrester Wines Petit Rose 2023 86/100
Koelenhof Wynkelder Stellenbosch Gold Chenin Blanc 2023 86/100
Robertson Winery Chardonnay 2023 86/1100
Roodezandt RF (Edms) Bpk McGregor Winery Chardonnay 2023 86/100
Stellenview Premium Wines Cape Five Reserve Shiraz 2020 86/100
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