WoTM - Reign of Terroir 2025

 

My Wine of The Month for August is Reign of Terroir Pinotage 2025 WO Swartland. It's the only Pinotage I drank in August that I've not previously had, and it was on the list of the DoubleTree by Hilton  hotel in Bristol.

It has a clever name and snazzy label and is rather vague about which winery produced it. But the back label names the winemaker as Leon Esterhuizen who works at Journeys End and the A922 number identifies that as the producer.

It's only 12.5% ABV, designed I assume to avoid taxes related to alcohol levels.

It's a clean, bright fruity wine, but I wouldn't guess it was Pinotage. It didn't have any faults, but for me it didn't seem to have any character either.

Pinotage Top 10 Winners - 2026

 The 2026 Absa Top 10 winners are:

Diemersdal – Diemersdal The Journal Pinotage 2024, WO Durbanville

Survivor Wines – Survivor Pinotage Reserve 2023, WO Swartland

Beyerskloof Wines – Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage 2022, WO Stellenbosch

Du Toitskloof Wines – Du Toitskloof Granite Pinotage 2025, WO Malmesbury

Koelenhof Wynkelder – Koelenbosch Director’s Reserve Pinotage 2023, WO Stellenbosch

Wellington Wines – Wellington Wines La Cave Pinotage 2024, WO Wellington

Stellenrust Wines – Stellenrust ArtiSons The Professor’s Perfect Crime Pinotage 2024, WO Stellenbosch

Langdam FrostLine – Frostline Pinotage 2024, WO Koo Plateau

Groot Phesantekraal – Groot Phesantekraal Pinotage 2024, WO Durbanville

Le Grand Domaine  – Le Grand Domaine Grand Vin de Stellenbosch Pinotage 2024, WO Stellenbosch

The judges were Etienne Louw, panel convener; Wynand Lategan; Lucinda Heyns; Kiara Scott; and Moses Magwaza.

There were 112 entries submitted by 59 producers.  The 10 winners came from 6  Wine of Origin areas  —  4 Stellenbosch, 2 Durbanville, and one from each of Swartland, Malmesbury, Wellington and the Koo Plateau and from 4 vintages : 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. 

What I find so exciting about this competition, which started in 1997 is the mix of previous winners from well known wineries and first time winners from wineries that I have never encountered.

Congratulations to all.