Steenberg’s Lady R takes top honours at Amorim Cap Classique Challenge

This is the 24th consecutive year the AmorimCap Classique Challenge was held, an event sponsored from the outset by the synonymous cork producer that has been crafting cork stoppers for the international wine industry for over 150 years. Some 152 Cap Classiques were entered for this year’s competition.

The entries were judged in the Cap Classique categories of Brut Blends, Blanc de Blancs, Rosé, Extended Aging (7yrs and older) and Nectar. A Blanc de Noir category was added this year for the first time.

Robertson producer Graham Beck won the Blanc de Blancs category with its Graham Beck Blanc de Blancs 2019, while the Kleine Zalze Brut Rosé (non-vintage) led the way in the Rosé offering.

In the Extended Ageing class, Stellenbosch’s Tokara Estate took top honours for its Tokara Blanc de Blanc Cap Classique 2017, while Krone’s Night Nectar Blanc de Blancs 2021 won the Trophy for Best Nectar.

No trophy was awarded in the class for Blanc de Noir, but the Graham Beck Pinot Meunier Cap Classique 2022 was awarded a Gold medal and adjudged best Blanc de Noir on show.

A total of six Double Gold medals were awarded to wines scored 96pts and above, while 30 wines won a Gold medal on achieving scores between 93pts and 95pts.

Heidi Duminy, Cape Wine Master and convener of the judging panel, said this year’s Amorim Cap Classique Challenge was for her and her judges a glorious exposure to the quality and diversity of Cap Classique wines.

“The category for Brut blends varied from wines with richness and assertive palate presence, to fresh, pure and invigorating Brut sparkling wines,” she says.

“Blanc de Blancs are always spectacular in their freshness and purity, with lees complexity creating a vivid, multi-layered diversity. The Extended Ageing category for wines seven years and older truly showed the magnificence our own Cap Classiques can show when allowed lengthy time in bottle on the lees during secondary fermentation. Patience is rewarded! As usual, the Rosé class showed us judges to expect the unexpected – various grape varieties being used, a range of colours and overall charm, diversity and excitement.”

The categories for Brut Blends and Blanc de Blancs both received 43 entries for this year’s Amorim Challenge, followed Rosé (37) Nectar (13) and Extended Ageing (12). The new Blanc de Noir category attracted four entries.

Joaquim Sá, MD of Cork South Africa who founded the Amorim Cap Classique Challenge in 2002, described the competition as more than just a contest but an annual celebration of a category that has blossomed since its inception in Stellenbosch by Simonsig in 1971. “Cap Classique is a living testament to South Africa’s viticultural landscape and its heritage, honouring both the country’s vinous legacy and the talented producers crafting this magical category of bottle fermented sparkling wines,” he said.

Sá pointed out that what elevates Cap Classique in the global landscape of sparkling wines is, arguably, its remarkable regional diversity. “Unlike many other sparkling styles confined to specific appellations, South African producers draw from a broad spectrum of terroirs - from Darling and Robertson to Elgin, Durbanville, and Paarl, among others. This diversity allows winemakers to craft nuanced, expressive wines that reflect the unique character of each vineyard’s microclimate and soil,” he said.

“The exploration of these different terroirs results in a dynamic palette of flavours, with each bottle telling a story of the Cape’s varied landscapes.

“Amorim’s unwavering commitment to this category is evident. As the flagship of South Africa’s sparkling wine sector, Cap Classique’s sustained success - underscored each year at this challenge - is increasingly captivating both domestic and international consumers. It stands as a vibrant reflection of South Africa’s winemaking ingenuity and the ever-evolving landscape of its sparkling wine excellence.”

This year’s Trophy, Double Gold and Gold Winners

Blanc de Blancs

Blanc de Noir

Brut Blends

Extended Ageing

Nectar

Rosé