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The winning wines in Winemag’s third annual Cape White Blend Report.

Winemag.co.za released the third annual Cape White Blend Report – in order to be eligible, wines had to contain a significant Chenin Blanc component, specifically more than 15% and less than 85%.

Why insist on Chenin Blanc? It’s what make such wines particularly, if not uniquely, of this country. If we were to make Chenin Blanc non-compulsory then producers forfeit a significant point of difference relative to wines from elsewhere in the world - with approximately 17 500ha of Chenin in the ground, it’s our most planted variety and we should find ways to celebrate it.

38 entries from 32 producers were received and these were tasted blind (labels out of sight) by the three-person panel, scoring done according to the 100-point quality scale.

A ringer in the form of the Chapoutier Belleruche Blanc 2016 was included. From France’s Côtes du Rhône, this wine obviously does not contain Chenin Blanc but is broadly similar in style to what many are trying to achieve with Cape White Blends. It rated 90 points.

To read the report in full, go to http://www.winemag.co.za

Follow the converstaion on twitter: #CapeWhiteReport

Wines to rate 90 points or higher on the 100-point quality scale were as follows:

94 Boplaas Gamka Branca Reserve 2017 Org de Rac Die Waghuis 2017 The Fledge & Co. Vagabond 2017 Van Wyk Family Wines Olivia Grace 2017

92 Lammershoek The Mysteries White Blend 2017 Painted Wolf Pictus VI 2017

91 Beaumont New Baby 2017 Cavalli Cremello 2016 Darling Lime Kilns 2017 Malanot Flower Pot White Blend 2014 Muratie Laurens Campher 2017 Springfontein Limestone Rocks Darkside of the Moon 2016

90 B Vintners Haarlem to Hope 2017 Fairview Nurok 2017 Painted Wolf Pictus V 2016 Perdeberg The Dry Land Collection Rossouw’s Heritage 2017 Zevenwacht The Tin Mine 2017