Six vintages shine in 2024 Shiraz SA Challenge
Sixteen winners were named in the three categories of the Shiraz SA Challenge. Zandvliet Wine Estate performed excellently by achieving two places in the Top 12 Shiraz:
• Bon Courage The Pepper Tree Shiraz 2022
• De Morgenzon Reserve Syrah 2019
• Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Syrah 2020
• Leeuwenkuil Shiraz 2023
• Lomond Single Vineyard Conebush Shiraz 2021
• Nederburg The Winemasters Shiraz 2022
• Survivor Wines Syrah 2022
• Saronsberg Provenance Shiraz 2022
• Spier Seaward Shiraz 2022
• Stellenbosch Reserve Kruithuis Syrah 2022
• Zandvliet Kalkveld Shiraz 2020
• Zandvliet Hill of Enon Shiraz 2021
The 2024 Shiraz blend winners are:
• Benguela Cove Lighthouse Collection Moody Lagoon 2021
• Eagle’s Cliff Wines Arendskloof Shiraz Tannat 2020
• KWV Roodeberg Dr Charles Niehaus 2020
The 2024 Shiraz Rosé winner is:
• Eerste Hoop Shiraz Rosé 2024
Judges impressed with excellent quality
A distinguished panel of leading wine experts, led by De Grendel’s cellar master Charles Hopkins, judged the entries from 16 to 19 July at Nederburg.
Joining Hopkins on the panel were Cape Wine Master Bennie Howard, vice chairman of the SA National Wine Show Association; Heidi Kritzinger of Kanonkop Wine Estate; Nongcebo Langa, winemaker of Delheim Wines; RJ Botha, Cellar Master of Kleine Zalze; and Karabelo Masoleng of De Grendel as protégée.
According to Hopkins, the panel was impressed with the variety and quality of the entries. "The winners are all great wines that can confidently carry the flag of Shiraz in South Africa," says Hopkins.
“While most of the 100% Shiraz entries were from the 2022 and 2021 vintages, we also tasted excellent wines from older vintages. The range of our Shiraz styles is impressive, from big, complex wines, to modern, more delicate styles with a lower alcohol content, made from whole bunches of grapes that were harvested earlier, giving the wines a unique peppery character. "
Wine MS assisted the judges, and Exceed Group audited the process and the results. Crystal Direct sponsored glasses and Lebone Paarl Labels provided the bottle seals for the winning wines. Unused wines were donated to the Pebbles Project.
Jordon honoured as third Shiraz trophy winner
Shiraz SA awarded the third annual Bellingham Bernard Podlashuk Shiraz Trophy to Jordan Wine Estate, along with a cash prize of R30 000, sponsored by Bellingham.
This magnificent trophy is named after the "Father of South African Shiraz", Bernard Podlashuk. Together with his wife Fredagh, Podlashuk bought the farm Bellingham in Franschhoek in 1943, and they became the pioneers who bottled South Africa's first single-varietal Shiraz in 1956.
In 2022, Saronsberg became the first trophy recipient, in recognition of their performance over the first decade of the Shiraz SA Challenge. Creation Wines was awarded as the second winner in 2023 after the future criteria were established as "sustainability, excellence, innovation, creativity, and social responsibility", in collaboration with Andrew Harris of Bellingham.
This year’s panel included Francois Haasbroek of Shiraz SA's Management Committee, Dr. Etienne Terblanche of Vinpro, Prof. Jako Volschenk of Stellenbosch University Business School, and Gerard Martin, South Africa Wine Manager: Research, Development, and Innovation. Three finalists were chosen, with Jordan outperforming two other worthy contenders, namely Babylonstoren and Stellenrust.
Visit www.shirazsa.co.za for all the results and more information.