Platter's is the definitive guide of who's who and what's what in South African wine, with comprehensive and up-to-date coverage of most currently available brands, as well as wine cellars, winelands restaurants and accommodation, tourist attractions etc.
For the 29th edition, the guide's tasting panel reviewed about 6,400 wines and identified 85 wines as potentially worthy of the maximum five star rating. After a further round of tasting, the following received the top grading:
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Sauvignon
- Boekenhoutskloof 2006
- Kanonkop 2004
- Thelema The Mint 2006
Pinot Noir
Pinotage
Shiraz
- Boekenhoutskloof 2006
- De Trafford 2006
- Eagles' Nest 2006
- Hartenberg The Stork 2005
- Signal Hill Clos d'Oranje 2006
Red Blends
- De Toren Fusion V 2006
- De Trafford CWG Perspective 2005
- Kaapzicht Steytler Vision 2005
- Morgenster 2005
- Vilafonté Series C 2006
- Waterford CWG Auction Reserve 2004
Chardonnay
- Ataraxia 2007
- Jordan CWG Auction Reserve 2006
- Uva Mira Single Vineyard 2007
Chenin Blanc
- Ken Forrester The FMC 2006
Sauvignon Blanc
- Quoin Rock The Nicobar 2007
Semillon
White Blends
- Cape Point Isliedh 2007
- Nederburg Ingenuity White 2007
- Sterhuis Astra White 2006
- Tokara White 2007
Dessert Wine, Unfortified
- Fleur du Cap Noble Late Harvest 2007
- Klein Constantia Rhine Riesling Noble Late Harvest 2006
- Tulbagh Mountain Vineyards Vin Pi Two NV
Dessert Wine, Fortified
- Mons Ruber Muscat d'Alexandrie Jerepigo 1997
Port
- Boplaas Vintage Reserve 2006
- De Krans Vintage Reserve 2006
In the second round of tasting for five stars, the label which emerges as the clear leader is singled out for special praise as the Wine of the Year. For the 2009 edition, the front runner is the Kanonkop Cabernet Sauvignon 2004.
'An eagerness to innovate and experiment has been key to uplifting the image of South African wines in recent years,' comments Philip van Zyl, editor of the Guide. 'But, besides highlighting the new and the novel, we feel it is important to recognise those cellars who quietly go about the perhaps more difficult task of making incremental improvements in vineyard and cellar, and are thus better able to consistently produce exceptional wines in commercially significant quantities.
'It is our privilege to honour Kanonkop Estate as Winery of the Year 2009. Fittingly, their Cabernet Sauvignon was a five-star wine in our very first edition and today, almost 30 years on, it still shines as one of SA wine's brightest stars.'
For the second year running, Simonsig Chenin Blanc 2008 heads the list of ultra-easy sippers, classified as Superquaffer of the Year. The names of the other top quaffers appear under the heading 'Wines of the Year', along with the 33 five stars, 52 Highly Recommended wines (which missed five stars but are nonetheless extremely fine and collectible in their own right), and a much-expanded selection of 140 reds, whites and fortified showing particular potential for cellaring.
Details of the Guide and its availability can be ascertained at www.platteronline.com, from November-end. It would be of significant use to the Indian importers and select hotels and restaurants who appreciate the value of South African wines.
Several of award winning wines from estates like Meerlust, Waterford, Nederburg, Fleur du Cap etc are already available in India. In fact, a group of wineries like Waterford is participating, along with WOSA, in IFE-India at Pragati Maidan, Delhi from December 2-4, giving the visitors an opportunity to taste diverse SA wines. Hopefully, the Guide would be available for purchase at their stand
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