{"id":8954,"date":"2016-09-08T18:55:38","date_gmt":"2016-09-08T16:55:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wfi-global-staging.com\/topwineold\/?p=8954"},"modified":"2021-01-25T17:55:46","modified_gmt":"2021-01-25T15:55:46","slug":"white-hot-wine-awards-point-to-frustrating-quest-for-the-perfect-blend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wfi-global-staging.com\/topwineold\/2016\/09\/white-hot-wine-awards-point-to-frustrating-quest-for-the-perfect-blend\/","title":{"rendered":"White Hot Wine Awards point to frustrating quest for the ‘perfect’ blend"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"iona-gate-iona-high-resolution-cropped-smaller\"<\/a>

Elgin Winner<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

WHAT TO make of Winemag.co.za's\u00a02016 Riscura White Hot Wine Awards? Of the 35 entries from nearly as many of the Cape wine cellars blending\u00a0Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, none scored lower than 86\/100 (very good) despite some being criticised as clumsy, “planky”. That 15 scored 90-plus out of\u00a0100 (excellent to outstanding) was a solid endorsement of the quality and interest value of the class \u2013 especially in the case of this line-up of\u00a0wines with established credentials for the most part. Yet none scored 96 or better\u00a0(extraordinary or profound). And how would the missing Vergelegen G.V.B have fared, you might ask…<\/p>\n

The judges\u00a0Christian Eedes (chair) and the\u00a0Wine Cellar<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\u00a0duo of Roland Peens and James Pietersen reached consensus as to their Top 3 \u2013 the 2015\u00a0Iona<\/a><\/span><\/strong> One Man Band favoured marginally ahead of the 2014\u00a0Strandveld<\/a><\/span><\/strong> Adamastor and the 2014\u00a0Tokara<\/a><\/span><\/strong> Director's Reserve. Whereas best value at under R100 was the Barton<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\u00a02015 at R70 a bottle\u00a0\u2013 less than half the average price of the Top 15 at around R185pb.<\/p>\n

Iona winemaker Werner Muller's tasting notes for the top-scoring wine include the following: “Floral, with white\u00a0stone fruit and blackcurrant. Tangerine lingers on the\u00a0mid-palate with a long savoury finish of pea shoots,\u00a0fine herbs and sea breeze. Complex, layered, classic\u00a0and poised.” Wow!<\/p>\n

For the full report, see here<\/a><\/span><\/strong>, and for all the\u00a0top reviews for South Africa's so-called Bordeaux-style white blends over the past couple of years, click here<\/a><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

TOP-RATED WINES AT 2016 WHITE HOT AWARDS<\/h4>\n

Barton Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2015
\n<\/strong>From outside Bot River en route to Hermanus\u00a0\u2013 also a gold medallist at International Wine & Spirit Competition
\nCape Point Isliedh 2015
\n<\/strong>From Cape Point Vineyards in Noordhoek\u00a0\u2013 also a gold medallist at Decanter Awards
\nConstantia Uitsig Natura Vista 2014
\n<\/strong>Winemaking completed at Steenberg in Tokai\u00a0\u2013 also a 5 Star laureate in Platter's guide
\nCreation Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2015
\n<\/strong>From Hemel-en-Aarde Road outside Hermanus\u00a0\u2013 also a winner in Top 100 Challenge
\nDelaire Graff White Reserve 2014
\n<\/strong>From Banghoek cellar, Stellenbosch, WO Coastal
\nHighlands Road Sine Cera 2014
\n<\/strong>From Elgin
\nIona One Man Band 2015
\n<\/strong>From Elgin
\nKWV The Mentors Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2015
\n<\/strong>From Paarl cellar, WO Coastal
\nMulderbosch Faithful Hound 2014
\n<\/strong>From Stellenbosch cellar, WO Western Cape\u00a0\u2013 also a winner of Somm's Winelist Award
\nNitida Coronata Integration 2015
\n<\/strong>From Durbanville
\nStrandveld Adamastor 2014
\n<\/strong>From outside Elim, Cape Agulhas
\nTokara Director's Reserve 2014
\n<\/strong>From Helshoogte, Stellenbosch – also judged Best White at Trophy Wine Show
\nTSW Reserve Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2015 (Trizanne)
\n<\/strong>Fruit from Elim, winemaking completed at Cape Point Vineyards
\nVrede en Lust Barrique 2014
\n<\/strong>Fruit from Elgin, cellar in Paarl\u00a0\u2013 also a winner of Somm's Winelist Award
\nZorgvliet Simon\u00e9 2015
\n<\/strong>From Banghoek, Stellenbosch<\/p>\n

\n

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

WHAT TO make of Winemag.co.za’s\u00a02016 Riscura White Hot Wine Awards? Of the 35 entries from nearly as many of the Cape wine cellars blending\u00a0Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, none scored lower than 86\/100 (very good) despite some being criticised as clumsy, “planky”. That 15 scored 90-plus out of\u00a0100 (excellent to outstanding) was a solid endorsement of the quality and interest value<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2217,1825,1830],"tags":[2223,2346,2130,1130,849,1044,1110,861,2140,1331,2345],"class_list":["post-8954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2217","category-wine-ratings","category-eedes","tag-2223","tag-blends","tag-bordeaux-style","tag-iona","tag-sa","tag-south-africa","tag-strandveld","tag-tokara","tag-white-hot","tag-wine-awards","tag-winemag-co-za"],"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