Novare SA Terroir Wine Awards 2018: Many wine terroirs produce awarded wines

Another estate which performed well is Jordan in the Stellenboschkloof terrain, with one National Winner and two of South Africa’s Top 5 Estate Wines. The National Winner for Merlot is the Jordan Black Magic Merlot 2015 and two of the Top 5 Estate Wines are the Jordan Inspector Péringuey Chenin Blanc 2016 and Nine Yards Chardonnay 2016.

The other three Top 5 Estate Wines are the Alto Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Bon Courage Noble Late Harvest 2016 and Springfontein Limestone Rocks Gadda da Vida 2014.

The Simonsig-Paarl ward this year produced four National Winners from four wine cellars in the area: the Glen Carlou Chardonnay 2017, Anura Malbec 2016, Babylonstoren Viognier 2017 and Mitre’s Edge Petit Verdot 2015. These achievements brought the Simonsberg-Paarl ward the Novare Trophy for SA Terroir Top Area.

The Novare Trophy for South Africa’s Top Single Vineyard Wine was awarded to a Pinotage from the Breedekloof, the Flagstone Writer’s Block Pinotage 2016. The same wine was also the National Winner for Pinotage. Another wine from the Breedekloof was adjudged the National Winner for Chenin Blanc: the Slanghoek Legends Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc 2016.

The Klaasvoogds terrain in Robertson also stood out with three National Winners, the De Wetshof Nature in Concert Pinot Noir 2017, Bon Courage Noble Late Harvest 2016 (also a Top 5 Estate Wine) and Rietvallei JMB Cabernet Franc 2015.

The Durbanville ward has this year again produced the National Winner for Sauvignon Blanc and from the same wine cellar as last year, the D’Aria The Following Sauvignon Blanc 2016. It is seldom that a Sauvignon Blanc winner is entered by the same cellar in consecutive years.

Alto Estate in Stellenbosch this year walked away with the National Winner for Cabernet Sauvignon, die Alto Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 (also a Top 5 estate wine). The Stellenboschkloof terrain performed well with Jordan Estate’s winning wines as well as Neethlingshof’s National Winner, the Neethlingshof Gewurztraminer 2018.

The other National Winners are the Nuy Red Muscadel 2010 (Nuy Valley, Worcester), De Krans Touriga Nacional 2016 (Calitzdorp), Lynx Grenache 2017 (Franschhoek), Linton Park MCC Brut (Wellington), Springfontein Lime Stone Rocks Gadda da Vida 2014 (red blend, Stanford, also aTop 5 Estate Wine), Wildekrans Shiraz Barrel Select Reserve 2014 (Bot River), Ghost Corner Bowline 2016 (white blend, Elim) and Vrede en Lust Early Mist Riesling 2017 (Elgin).

This year’s judges were Kris Snyman, Jeff Grier, Jolette Steyn, David Biggs, Sandile Mkhwanazi, Elize Coetzee and Karen Glanfield.

The Novare group has been the sole sponsor of the prestigious and keenly contested Novare SA Terroir Wine Awards since their inception 13 years ago. Lucy Richardson, Marketing Manager at Novare Equity Partners, said the fund management company’s long association with the awards reflects its commitment to helping develop South Africa’s globally recognised wine industry. “Key factors that have a bearing on terroir include topography, climate, geology and soil. We congratulate this year’s winners who have combined these elements with patience skill and intuition to produce award-winning wines.”