Thys Louw of Diemersdal with General Smuts Trophy
The judges of this year’s SA Young Wine
Show voted the Diemersdal wooded Sauvignon Blanc as the worthy recipient of the
General Smuts trophy for the best young wine of the show – the highest acclaim
of this prestigious competition for wines from the current vintage. It also received the trophy as the
Champion Sauvignon Blanc. Six generations of Louw family winemakers have been
creating fine wines at this Durbanville Valley estate since the 1800’s but this
is the first time that they have won top honours in the
SA Young Wine Show. The winning Sauvignon Blanc, a barrel fermented wine – has
been made in the new state-of-the-art winery with an approach of minimum
intervention in order to conserve its varietal character.
Bon Courage, who regularly makes an appearance
on the SA Champion list of the Young Wine Show, this year won the Pietman Hugo
trophy the highest marks for the best five wines entered. A threesome of SA Young Wine Champions
is clear proof that they have King Midas’ touch when it comes to the creation
of wines for those with a sweet tooth. This year the father and son winemaker
team, André and Jacques Bruwer, won the following SA Champions: SA Champion
Dessert Wine for their Red Jerepigo, SA Champion Natural Sweet White Wine and
the SA Champion Noble Late Harvest for their wooded Noble Late Harvest.
“The institution of a SA Young Wine Show
bottle sticker for the General Smuts trophy wine announced at last year’s award
ceremony brings the competition closer to the consumer,” says Charles Hopkins,
chairman of the South African National Wine Show Association (SANWSA). This sticker can be applied once the
award winning wine has been bottled. “The extra public recognition undoubtedly
serves as an additional draw card for the some 135 wineries that entered the
best of their season for this revered and oldest competition for young wines.”
2013
SA Young Wine Champions
Back
l to r
Johan
Weideman (Namaqua), Johann Smit (Spier), Johan Ehlers (Agri-Expo), Hennie Hugo
(Goudini), Schalk van der Westhuizen (Alto), Magnus Kriel (Merwida), Armand
Lacomme (Allesverloren), Charles Hopkins (SANW chairperson), Jacques Bruwer
(Bon Courage), Michiel Visser (Botha), Alex Nel (Cederberg), Riaan Möller
(Perdeberg)
Back
l to r
Gerhard
Swart (Flagstone), Izelle van Blerk (KWV), Margaux Nel (Boplaas), Thys Louw
(Diemersdal), Mari Branders (Diemersdal), André Bruwer (Bon Courage), Pieter
Bruwer (Bon Courage), Anné van Heerden (Alvi’s Drift), Alvi van der Merwe
(Alvi’s Drift).
Photo:
Lionel Besterfield
This year Sauvignon Blanc topped the 2,060 entries with 110 wines competing in
this category. ”It seems that the 2013 vintage has produced some great
Sauvignon Blanc wines and it is quite fitting then that it has won the General
Smuts trophy,” says Hopkins. Previous
Sauvignon Blanc winners of the General Smuts trophy include Roodezandt (2002),
Cape Point (2000) and Vergelegen (1999).
This year no other cellar succeeded in
winning more than one SA Champion. The trophy winners in the category for the
red varietals were as follows: the
Pinotage (wooded) of Namaqua Wines (Spruitdrift) won the SA Champion Pinotage
trophy for the second consecutive year, Perdeberg Winery’s
Pinotage/Mourvedre/Petit Verdot (wooded) was awarded the SA Champion Red Blend
and Spier Wines won the SA Champion title for their Shiraz (wooded). The SA
Champion Cabernet Sauvignon title went to Flagstone Winery for their Cabernet
Sauvignon (wooded) and the SA Champion Merlot went to Botha Cellar’s Merlot
(wooded). Alto’s Cabernet Franc (wooded) claimed the SA Champion Other Red
Cultivar.
The SA Champion winners in the white
wine grouping were KWV’s Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon with the SA Champion White Blend
trophy, Alvi’s Drift Wines International won the SA Champion Chenin Blanc for
their wooded Chenin Blanc, while David Nieuwoudt’s Sémillon from the Ghost
Corner range (Cederberg Private Cellar) wears the SA Champion Sémillon crown.
Two cellars from the Rawsonville region were honoured with SA Champion
trophies: Goudini Wine Cellar entered this year’s SA Champion Chardonnay and
Merwida Cellar’s Novelle won the SA Champion Other White Cultivar.
The Boplaas Family Vineyards Vintage
Port leads as this year’s SA Champion Port, while the Allesverloren Red
Muscadel Jerepigo won the SA Champion Muscadel title.
For more information and results visit www.youngwineshow.co.za or contact
Elsabe Ferreira at tel 021 863 1599 or via email to admin@veritas.co.za
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Twitter #sayoungwine.
