{"id":44782,"date":"2022-05-12T19:01:33","date_gmt":"2022-05-12T17:01:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wfi-global-staging.com\/topwineold\/?p=44782"},"modified":"2022-08-21T00:01:10","modified_gmt":"2022-08-20T22:01:10","slug":"neil-ellis-chardonnay-leads-south-african-charge-at-iwc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wfi-global-staging.com\/topwineold\/2022\/05\/neil-ellis-chardonnay-leads-south-african-charge-at-iwc\/","title":{"rendered":"Neil Ellis Chardonnay leads South African charge at IWC"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Neil Ellis, Helshoogte, Stellenbosch<\/em><\/span><\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

NOW IN ITS 38th year, the International Wine Challenge<\/strong><\/span><\/a> (IWC) is one of the world\u2019s most rigorous wine competitions. Every medal winner is assessed \u2018blind\u2019 on at least three separate occasions by a minimum of two panels of judges tasting together, and then again by two of the show's co-chairs, who in 2022 comprised Tim Atkin MW, Sam Caporn MW, Oz Clarke, Jamie Goode, Peter McCombie MW and Helen McGinn. The judges are industry experts, buyers and Masters of Wine working in unison to rate the thousands of entries from over 50 countries, with the South Africans on the team including two of the 28 panel chairs, Cathy van Zyl MW and Winnie Bowman CWM, another of the senior judges, sommelier Higgo Jacobs, as well as Benguela Cove cellarmaster Johann Fourie and Jenny Ratcliffe-Wright CWM.<\/p>\n

The trophy laureates had yet to be confirmed at the time of writing, however the names of all the medallists announced by the IWC included 13 South African wines that had earned gold \u2013 12 scored 95\/100 and one 96\/100, the 2020 vintage of Neil Ellis Whitehall Chardonnay, made from Elgin grapes at the family cellar on the Helshoogte Road in Stellenbosch. The panel's tasting notes for this 96-pointer: “Pure, intense and refined Chardonnay that wouldn't look out of place in the C\u00f4te de Beaune. Nuanced oak with patisserie and citrus peel flavours with lovely definition supported by chiseled acidity.”<\/p>\n

P.S.<\/strong> A week after the names of IWC 2022 medallists were released, the trophy winners were announced: click here<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n

SA GOLD MEDALLISTS<\/span><\/h3>\n

Bouchard Finlayson T\u00eate de Cuv\u00e9e Pinot Noir 2020<\/strong>
\nR1240pb ex-cellar, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley<\/p>\n

Fryer's Cove Grenache Cinsault 2021<\/strong>
\nR149pb ex-cellar, Doringbaai<\/p>\n

Jordan Nine Yards Chardonnay 2020<\/strong>
\nR470pb ex-cellar, Stellenbosch Kloof<\/p>\n

Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Shiraz 2018<\/strong>
\nR435pb ex-cellar, Stellenbosch<\/p>\n

Land's End Cape Agulhas Sauvignon Blanc 2021<\/strong>
\nR150pb from Du Toitskloof cellar, Breedekloof<\/p>\n

Lothian Chardonnay 2020<\/strong>
\nR310pb ex-cellar, Elgin<\/p>\n

Lothian Chardonnay 2021<\/strong>
\nR310pb ex-cellar, Elgin<\/p>\n

Neil Ellis Jonkershoek Cabernet Sauvignon 2018<\/strong>
\nR520pb ex-cellar, Helshoogte-Stellenbosch<\/p>\n

Neil Ellis Whitehall Chardonnay 2020<\/strong>
\nR325pb ex-cellar, Helshoogte-Stellenbosch<\/p>\n

Paul Cluver Seven Flags Chardonnay 2020<\/strong>
\nR850pb ex-cellar, Elgin<\/p>\n

Saronsberg Full Circle 2020<\/strong> (Red Blend)
\nR580pb ex-cellar, Tulbagh<\/p>\n

Saronsberg Seismic 2020<\/strong> (Red Blend)
\nR170pb ex-cellar, Tulbagh<\/p>\n

Thelema Chardonnay 2019<\/strong>
\nR200pb ex-cellar, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NOW IN ITS 38th year, the International Wine Challenge (IWC) is one of the world\u2019s most rigorous wine competitions. Every medal winner is assessed \u2018blind\u2019 on at least three separate occasions by a minimum of two panels of judges tasting together, and then again by two of the show’s co-chairs, who in 2022 comprised Tim Atkin MW, Sam Caporn MW,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3832,1836,1825],"tags":[3809,2278,972,1085,1323,1012,1718,980,834,3775,3151,1517,779,849,912,1044,853,3860],"class_list":["post-44782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-3832","category-iwc","category-wine-ratings","tag-3809","tag-bouchard-finlayson","tag-chardonnay","tag-fryers-cove","tag-gold","tag-international-wine-challenge","tag-iwc","tag-jordan","tag-kleine-zalze","tag-lands-end","tag-lothian","tag-neil-ellis","tag-paul-cluver","tag-sa","tag-saronsberg","tag-south-africa","tag-thelema","tag-top-wine-sa"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t