30 July 2011

Pinotage Top 10 Shortlist

1. Altydgedacht 2010
2. Lyngrove Platinum 2009
3. Beyerskloof Reserve 2008
4. Diemersdal Reserve 2010
5. Fairview Primo 2009
6. Kanonkop 2006
7. Kanonkop 2009
8. KWV The Mentor’s 2009
9. KWV Cathedral Cellar 2009
10. Laibach 2010
11. L’Avenir 2009
12. Rijk’s 2007
13. Schalk Burger & Sons Meerkat 2009
14. Simonsig Redhill 2008
15. Spier Naledi 2009
16. Spier 21 Gables 2009
17. Spier Private Collection 2008
18. Wellington La Cave 2009
19. Windmeul Reserve 2010
20. Windmeul Reserve 2009

The final 10 will be selected from these 20, the names are in alphabetical order. The list was released a month early apparently because it had been widely leaked.

Interesting to see the inexpensive 'lifestyle' Meerkat in the final, and three from Spier, plus a number of familiar names.


source: wine.co.za

20 July 2011

Proudly Pinotage at the New Forest Show

Pinotage will be poured during the three days of the New Forest & Hampshire County Show 26 - 28 July, 2011, held at the New Forest Show Ground near Brockenhurst.

UK importers Cape Wine Cellars in association with The Pinotage Association will be showing 11 wines – one rose, four ‘coffee’ style, three ‘easy drinking’ and three barrel matured Pinotages.

Cape Wine Cellars are also selling Pinotage taster case of the wines from their website at www.capewinecellars.co.uk at £99 with free deliver, a saving of £21.

The wines at the show will be

Beyerskloof Pinotage Rosé 2011
LIGHT AND FRUITY
Beyerskloof Pinotage 2010
Hill & Dale Pinotage 2009
Neethlingshof Pinotage 2007
COFFEE AND MOCHA
Ashton Kelder Pinotage 2011
Alvi’s Drift Pinotage 2010
Diemersfontein Coffee Pinotage 2010
Doolhof Dark Lady Pinotage 2010
CLASSIC AND ELEGANT
Hidden Valley Pinotage 2009
Knorhoek Pinotage 2008
Tukulu Pinotage 2008

Cape Wine Cellars and The Pinotage Association are promoting a Proudly Pinotage campaign in the UK supported by the website www.proudlypinotage.co.za which has a competition for South African wine and book hampers

08 July 2011

2009 Vintage is the Best

Judging for the 2011 Top 10 Competition has been taking place this week. Neil Pendock is judging again and he blogs "In several years judging the ABSA competition, these 2009 wines are the best I’ve ever tasted."

He was less impressed with the previous days wines from 2006, 7, 8, 10 and 11 vintages.

The judges are photographed in what looks like an attic and there is no sign of the sophisticated desktop scoring computers introduced some years ago when I last judged.

I don't have much 2009 myself except for a case of the Fairview 2009 that was a Top 10 winner last year which I ordered from the winery.