Terroir and teamwork merged in a master blend
The masterful The Mentors Perold 2022 Cape blend that has just bagged KWV an exceptional third Duimpie Bayly Veritas Vertex Award as overall winning wine in this superior showdown is the result of merging a multitude of elements – from terroir diversity to top teamwork.
This is the picture emerging from a chat with the leading role players in this historic achievement. Moreover, this happened in tandem with KWV being named Best Wine Producer with 11 or more entries for an unprecedented third consecutive year in the Cape winelands’ awesome Oscars-like event – the Veritas Awards 2025, attended by 550 guests in the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
Interviewed at their domein in the company’s sprawling cellar complex in Paarl, were a clearly still adrenalin-laden Izele van Blerk, The Mentors portfolio’s winemaking guru, and team captain Justin Corrans: Chief KWV Winemaker. Within all the elation, they emphasise the vital role of Chief Viticulturist Marco Ventrella by their side, as well as the cellar assistants Albie van der Westhuizen and Neville Friesland in the engineroom.
At the same time, a host of other team members, from vineyard to bottle, played their specialised roles to pull off these accolades among a 1 205 entries which earned 88 Double Gold medals representing Cape wine country’s cream of the crop.
In total, KWV was awarded a record-breaking eight Double Gold and 13 Gold for its wines and two Double Gold and six Gold for its brandies. This, while the company clinched the Duimpie Bayly Veritas Vertex Award an unprecedented third time since its inception in 2017. Especially significant is the fact that their Vertex winnner is named after Professor Abraham Izak Perold, the founding father of Pinotage who worked in KWV’s cellars in the 1920s –coinciding with the centenery celebration of South Africa’s homegrown grape variety.
The KWV The Mentors Perold 2022 is a Cape Blend of Pinotage, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, the company’s flagship red blend that manifests its total commitment to the evolution of Pinotage.
Said Van Blerk, “Perold is an icon of Pinotage; it’s exceptional for us at KWV to have this brand name. And to have a Pinotage-based blend win this award in 100 years of Pinotage’s existence is incredible – through persistence, concentration and quality from vineyards to the cellar and with an amazing team!”
The components, she says, derive from four grape-growing areas: 30% Pinotage from one vineyard block on a farm in Bottelary, 30% Shiraz from the Swartland, 30% Cabernet from Bottelary and 10% Malbec from Sir Lowry’s Pass near Somerset West. The basic recipe stays the same; just the percentages vary, although we also had Petite Sirah in the mix for last year’s Vertex winner, the The Mentors Perold 2020 which had 40% Pinotage from the very same vineyard block.”
The Winning wine, The KWV Mentors Perold 2022 and the Vertex trophy.
The first of their three Vertex triumphs was in 2020 with The Mentors Orchestra 2018, a full-on Bordeaux blend, obviously without Pinotage whereas the Perold is a unique and diverse composition.
Corrans said that their great achievement lay in finding harmony between the diverse elements and components, terroir traits, areas, varietal characteristics. Also, people characteristics. The leading creative personalities originate from diverse backgrounds – himself, Izele and Marco respectively from the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and KZN, who together hold cellar and agricultural qualifications including wine biotechnology, viticulture and oenology and viticulture, all at the US and Elsenburg in addition to varied previous experience.
“Having diversity from different upbringings and different areas brings different ideas. We challenge each other’s opinions but ultimately have the same goal and are aligned to achieve the best possible outcome in the best possible wine. Doing everything only one percent better each year means the holistic outcome is a massive, monumental step-up in quality,” said Corrans.
“There are very strong personalities in our team and each one is an expert in their field, respecting each other and each bringing team consistency. Our little Mentor’s team of five have actually been together since 2010.” Van Blerk said.
“I make the wine but essentially I’m the link between the vineyard and cellar teams …I taste all the time and decisions are all made on tasting, on feeling; we taste and do analyses, but analysing is not the driver of what we do. Focusing meticulously on the picking date, I travel a lot with the vineyard team to 12 widespread farms in peak season and, for instance, taste the Pinotage up to six times, being highly critical.”
The Mentors portfolio of limited-edition premium terroir-driven wines comprises eight wines, both blends and single cultivar, plus a limited-bottling “surprise,” this year being a “unique, innovative style” Cabernet Sauvignon.
“What sets the Perold blend apart,” stresses Corrans, “is good acid for longevity and freshness, the prominent aroma with amazing weight, depth of palate, structure, elegance and softness. The tannins give the wine depth of body without being harsh or astringent. An iron fist in a velvet glove,” he smiles.
Gratifying for these passionate Perold devotees, is the fact that their pinnacle product sells 80% from the KWV Wine Emporium right there in Paarl, with significant sales also in the UAE duty free outlets.
Here KWV wine lovers will also find the eight Veritas DG winning wines of 2025, including the magic The Mentors Perold 2022, as well as Roodeberg Dr Charles Niehaus 2022 and KWV Roodeberg Reserve 2022 – the brand which endorses KWV’s long-standing reputation for creating iconic blended wine.
The extraodinary Veritas accolades follow the company’s recent top listings at the Absa Pinotage Top 10 and Absa Perold Cape Blend competitions – featuring The Mentors Pinotage 2022 and The Mentors Perold 2020 and 2022.
Said KWV CEO John Loomes, “With this performance at Veritas, we once again demonstrate that across our entire portfolio, we will always overdeliver on quality. It’s a commitment that has guided us for over a century, and one we remain steadfastly dedicated to.”
The Mentors Perold 2022 Make-up
Production
4 800 L – 30% Pinotage, 30% Shiraz, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Malbec.
Vintage conditions
The vintage was characterised by alternating hot and cool conditions with small rainfall spells throughout – where picking decisions and pH management in the winery were important.
Winemaking
A mix of varieties from regions and sites that consistently produce outstanding quality and style. Only the best varieties, regions and sites are selected with focus on balanced structure, concentration and finesse. A combination of whole-berry fermentation and gentle pump-overs to ensure every bit of flavour is captured, Pinotage taking priority. The bunches were handpicked and sorted. After fermentation, the most promising wines of each cultivar were chosen to mature further in barrel. After 12 months, the best wines were singled out and aged for another six months. Matured for 18 months in first-fill French oak barrels.
Description
Layers of fruitcake, anise and cranberry with lifted perfume, floral and marzipan aromas, and a touch of cigar box and pencil shavings. On the palate, the structure is restrained and focused yet supple with sweet textured tannins and a finish of lingering intensity.
Analysis
Alcohol: 14.74% pH: 3.42 Total acidity: 6.15 g/l Residual sugar: 2.56 g/l.
“An outstanding example of wine where the sum of the parts exceeds the value of the individual components” – inscription on back label of the stylish wax-sealed, numbered bottes, featuring a portrait of Dr A I Perold
