Special Award winners: Four categories namely Wine Consistency; Vineyard Consistency; Grand Cru Best In Class; and Wine Of The Year: Red, White, Sweet and Bubbly.
Double Gold Medal award results will be released on Tuesday 11 June.
Robin von Holdt reviews special awards for the 14th National Wine Challenge (NWC) 2024
We can say with absolute conviction again this year, that the four special awards categories that the NWC tracks and awards are the critical long term benchmarks that separate great wines from the rest. They encapsulate and validate core components of fine wine performance.
Each one of these four categories is distinctive and unique. They are crucial parts of the recognition process that leads to a plausible and trustworthy fine wine brand and status. Whatever the wine style, wherever the vineyards sit, no matter which country the wine region is based in, these are the four aspects that will underpin a claim and give credence to claiming "fine wine" status.
It is a vivid debate that gains attention from commentators and stakeholders alike. There are agreed mainstream pointers. Vineyard sites are cornerstone together with appropriate cultivars, clonal selection and vineyard management. The best sites are needed as the baseline starting point. Then, leadership that encourages and supports best practices both in the vineyards and in the cellar. Critical too are highly trained staff who work collegially towards "best in class" results. Thus, attracting and retaining the best industry people is critical to success. Then investment in and leveraging modern technology that aids all steps of the winemaking process is equally a must. These steps and actions help to drive exceptional long term wine performance.
We now focus and detail each of the various measurements and achievements, that result in select wineries gaining these unique, prestigious awards.
Wine Consistency awards
We identify a single wines’ consistent top performance in this category and then reward it. There are just a handful of wines that have achieved a significant number of Top 100 winning positions over the entire fourteen-year period. Currently there are now just three fine wines that occupy the overall leading positions, measured by their multiple of annual Top 100 podium wins. These consistent top performances are tremendous reputation boosts for each wine maker and their entire winery teams. Incredibly scarce, thereby making each win exceptionally desirable. Such an envious track record and commensurate recognition provides a blue-chip underpin to claiming fine wine status. Great pride will be taken by each winning winery and team, who receives one of these three, top performing, wine consistency accolades.
Vineyard Consistency awards
The consistent achievement of making high-quality wines as measured by benchmark accolade, is a characteristic that underpins the world’s greatest vineyards. It takes many years, decades even, to be in a position to earn such credence. Once earned, the case can finally be confirmed as proven.
The NWC assess and awards only those top performing vineyards that have proved over considerable time to be consistently at the fore with a spread of Top 100 winning wines. This implies over the duration of the 14 years of this fine-wine competition's history.
Over this entire period, there are now 5 vineyards in leading positions each with between 47 and 53 winning wines. Such a categorical long term out-performance is a remarkable achievement. Particularly so, given the very stiff competition. It is a huge endorsement of each winning vineyards’ terroir, of their high calibre vineyard and cellar teams, as well as recognising the exceptional wine making skills involved.
Grand Cru 'Best in Class' awards
The well regarded judges are able and versed to identify with finite accuracy that single wine in each flight, that offers beguiling features and truly compelling qualities. It is the singular, finest, example of its cultivar, or, of its blend category. All Top 100 winning wines are of course outstanding expressions, falling definitively into the special fine-wine category that is instantly recognisable.
It is however always that single wine that just offers something additional, something ‘special’ about its presence and attractiveness, that will capture the panels attention. Thereby gaining the Grand Cru ‘Best in Class’ Award. It is a real treat and a privilege to taste this final, remarkable flight of exceptionally made Grand Cru winning wines. Layered, textured, enough weight, these wines are complex, nuanced and show remarkable length, together with that ultimate fine wine character and underpin: Exceptional balance.
Wine of the Year awards: Red, white, bubbly and sweet wine
It was four years ago in 2020 that we added this fourth category to our Special Awards programme. It was an appropriate and timely step, given the successful length of our track record. It was also a demonstration of our commitment to recognise and reward excellence in our wine making community and in the industry. As a consequence we now also identify and celebrate these iconic wines during the judging process. We award and promote these four individual wines that stand apart overall. A separate and unique identity is then granted which is distinct from all of the other very fine wines and praiseworthy awards. One white wine and one red wine, one bubbly and one sweet wine, that achieve the single highest judged score in their generic band during the 2024 NWC competition.
These once-off achievements bring an additional endorsement and level of recognition to winners and their winemaking teams. They offer tangible brand value and commercial benefit. Each one of these awards offers a further and final enhancement of credibility and reputation. They yield positive local market impact together with an enhanced global awareness and brand footprint. It also provides winners' wine brands a uniqueness, a point of differentiation and enhanced status.
We can say with confidence that all of the NWC Special Awards help our fine wine industry. They endorse the general success, reputation and upwards trajectory of South African fine wines, both globally and locally.
A huge thumbs up and absolute respect to each and every well-deserved winner!
WINE CONSISTENCY AWARDS
Top three place winners for the fourteen year period 2010 to 2024:
- De Krans Cape Vintage Reserve (1st Place - 11 wins)
- Saronsberg Full Circle (2nd Place - 10 wins)
- Raka Biography Shiraz (3rd Place - 9 wins)
VINEYARD CONSISTENCY AWARDS
The ‘Top 4’ places for the 14 year period from 2010 to 2024:
- Alvi's Drift Private Cellar (joint 1st place - 53 wins)
- Paul Clüver Family Wines (joint 1st place - 53 wins)
- Fairview Wines (2nd place - 51 wins)
- Jordan Wine Estate (3rd place - 48 wins)
- Saronsberg Cellars (4th Place - 47 wins)
GRAND CRU AWARDS
‘Best in Class’ winning wines per cultivar or blend.
Quotes from winning vineyards who achieved these awards, firstly by number of wins, thereafter in alphabetical order:
Groot Constantia
Jean Naude, CEO: “All the awards received are a compliment and a reward for the massive effort that our production teams have put in over many years. This achievement is not unique; it follows excellent results at various competitions. These awards pay justice to Groot Constantia’s heritage and terroir and align with the achievements of centuries ago. These CONSISTENT achievements align with our founder's wishes when he named this farm CONSTANTIA.”
Daniel Keulder, winemaker: “We are immensely honoured to have our Gouverneurs Reserve Red, Gouverneurs Reserve White, and Merlot recognized as the best in their class at the National Wine Challenge. These prestigious awards underscore the meticulous effort and deep pride that our vineyard and winemaking team invest in crafting Groot Constantia wines.”
Constantia Uitsig
Estian de Wet, winemaker: “We are very proud and honored that our Sauvignon Blanc won the Grand Cru – Best in Class, as well as Top 100 & Double Platinum in this year’s NWC Challenge! To add to our great news, the Estate Red also won the Double Gold award! We couldn’t be happier with results.”
De Krans
Christoff de Wet, winemaker: "We are absolutely thrilled to have received the Grand Cru National Champion for Best in Class for the Tritonia Verdelho 2022, second year in a row! This just proves once again the quality of our wines!"
Dornier
Francois Theunissen, general manager: “We are exhilarated with the consecutive win of the distinguished Grand Cru Best in Class Award for Dornier Equanimity Cabernet Sauvignon. The reverence received from the esteemed panel is an immense honour for Dornier and the devoted teams behind the wine.”
Fairview
Annette Van Zyl and Anthony De Jager, winemakers: “Primo Pinotage 2022 (Best in Category), lovely to see this single vineyard off our own property doing well here, and the best in category is a first for Primo and a great honour."
Holden Manz
Annamarie Fourie, winemaker: “Semillion 2021, the 2021 harvest was approx. 2 weeks later than normal due to cooler weather throughout the season, which persisted through harvest time and expressed itself with vines of higher acidity.
A 25-year-old patch of Franschhoek-grown grapes within sight of Holden Manz produced a yield of around 6 tons per hectare. The wine was stirred on fine lees for 11 months before bottling. Limited production of 1,087 bottles produced."
Jakkalsvlei
Louis van der Riet, winemaker: “We are super excited to be awarded with two top 100 wines and even more so to receive Crand Cru best in Class for our Mount Cuvée Cape Blend as this is our first time entering our wines into the Top 100 wines competition. A true honour to receive these accolades and confirmation of what we have set out to do is going in the right direction.”
Paul Wallace
Paul Wallace, owner, viticulturist: “I couldn’t be more delighted that the Paul Wallace Black Dog Malbec has been awarded a Grand Cru Award in this prestigious competition. It has consistently shown its finesse and is proudly pioneering an appreciation for the lesser-known cultivar of Malbec.”
WINE OF THE YEAR AWARD
RED: Joint winners
Quoin Rock Simonsberg Blend 2020
Ridgeback Cabernet Franc 2021
WHITE
Alvi's Drift Private Cellar
Albertus Viljoen Chenin Blanc 2022
SWEET
De Wet Cellar Red Muscadel 2019
BUBBLY
Graham Beck Cuvee Clive 2018
SWEET WINE OF THE YEAR AWARD
De Wet Cellar
Red Muscadel 2019
Tertius Jonck, winemaker: "We are incredibly honoured that our 2019 Red Muscadel has been named Sweet Wine of the Year by the National Wine Challenge. This accolade highlights our commitment to excellence and the rich diversity of our wines. It is a testament to the dedication and passion of our team, who strive to create outstanding wines that reflect the unique character of our terroir. We are very proud to celebrate this prestigious recognition."
RED WINE OF THE YEAR AWARD
Quoin Rock
Quoin Rock Simonsberg Blend (Joint winner)
Schalk Opperman, winemaker: "It’s an honour to receive Grand Cru and Wine of the Year for this wine. The secret to this blend is the integration of the Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, which both perform exceptionally on the estate and this illustrious award gives that credibility."
Ridgeback
Ridgeback Cabernet Franc 2021 (Joint winner)
Toit Wessels, cellarmaster: “The Ridgeback team is incredibly honoured to be the recipient of the NWC Top 100 Competition Red Wine of the Year award as well as the Grand Cru award for the Ridgeback Cabernet Franc 2021. We consider this to be a showcase of the finest wines in the industry where we hold all our peers in the very highest regard and therefore makes this award so special. Thank you.”
WHITE WINE OF THE YEAR AWARD
Alvi's Drift Private Cellar
Albertus Viljoen Chenin Blanc
This brilliant straw-coloured wine has a complex nose dominated by nectarine and peach, with notes of fresh cream, vanilla pod and hints of roasted cashew. Elegant, rich and velvety, this wine boasts a full and complex palate, with ripe fruit characters following through from the nose, and fan-tailing out to a lingering finish.
MCC WINE OF THE YEAR AWARD
Graham Beck
Cuvée Clive
The Graham Beck Cuvée Clive represents the very apex of our artistic inspiration and creative endeavours in the pursuit of the perfect bubble. This extraordinary bubbly showcases the deftness of our craft, the depth of our passion and the commitment we have towards continuously raising the bar in terms of outstanding quality. Elegance, finesse and complexity are hallmarks of a truly distinguished prestige cuvée – Cuvée Clive is all this and much more. A blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, this Brut is produced only in exceptional vintages and in extremely limited quantities.
For further information, please contact Lisa at accounts@buybetterwine.com