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  Platter’s by Diners Club launches the 2019 South African Wine Guide

05 Nov 2018

Topics: Platter's Guide, South Africa, South African wine, wine

Three Wineries of the Year Recognised for Excellence

Platters by Diners Club South African Wine Guide 2019 was launched at Cape Town’s Table Bay Hotel on 5 November 2018 with over 200 guests in attendance, the VIPs including the wine producers who achieved the maximum Five Star rating in the new edition – reserved for wines that are “South African classics” and scored 95 points or more on the internationally recognised 100-point scale.

A total of 90 wines achieved the coveted Five Star status this year. Publisher of Platters by Diners Club, Jean-Pierre Rossouw, says: “All wines that scored 93 points or higher in the primary assessment went into a second round of tasting, conducted blind (without sight of the label) by small panels including experienced palates from outside the team. The stringency of this model means that our Five Star wines showed their consistent brilliance. Hearty congratulations to all!”

This edition, the ultimate Platter’s accolade, Winery of the Year, has expanded to become a trio of pinnacle awards, each saluting excellence in South African wine-making. The Newcomer Winery of the Year recognises the winery that records the best results as a first-time participant in the guide. This honour goes to Erika Obermeyer Wines, with two Five Stars on debut. The Top Performing Winery of the Year award goes to Mullineux, who are no strangers to Platter’s accolades, having twice previously been Winery of the Year. In the new guide they achieve a remarkable four Five Stars plus a Wine of the Year. Finally, the Editors Award for 2019 goes to Newton Johnson Vineyards, as editor Philip van Zyl’s personal commendation of this family venture’s consistently superb quality over a range of styles of wine.

In a further innovation, the number of Wines of the Year has also been increased, and the expanded line-up now reflects the highest-scoring Five Star wines in their category (or, in instances where wines were tied with the highest scores, the judging panels’ preferred wine). The list of the 25 remarkable wines follows below.

Another first in this edition is the introduction of 100-point scores, printed alongside the familiar “Platter’s Stars”, for the recently tasted wines. Jean-Pierre Rossouw comments: “100-point scoring is the global standard, and by combining this notation with our own long-standing star-rating system, we hope that our international readers in particular will better understand and contextualise our judges’ assessments. We see the two rating systems coexisting in the guide in the future.”


Wines of the Year

These are the highest-scoring Five Star wines within each tasting category. In instances where there were a number of wines tied at equal points, we asked the panel to identify their favourite.

Cabernet Franc

Raats Dolomite 2016

Cabernet Sauvignon

Le Riche Reserve 2015

Grenache Noir

Sadie Soldaat 2017

Merlot

Shannon The Shannon Black 2013

Petit Verdot

Thelema Sutherland Reserve 2015

Pinotage

Kanonkop Black Label 2016

Pinot Noir

Crystallum Cuvée Cinéma 2017

Shiraz/Syrah

Leeuwenkuil Syrah 2015

Tinta Barocca

Elemental Bob Graveyard 2017

Red Blends, Cape Bordeaux

Plaisir de Merle Signature 2012

Red Blends, with Pinotage

Beyerskloof Faith 2014

Red blends, with Shiraz/Syrah

Saronsberg Full Circle 2016

Red Blends, Other

Ernie Els Proprietor's Blend 2016

Chardonnay

Leeu Passant Stellenbosch 2016

Chenin Blanc

DeMorgenzon The Divas 2017

Sauvignon Blanc, Unwooded

Steenberg The Black Swan 2017

Sauvignon Blanc, Wooded

Bartho Eksteen Houtskool 2017

Semillon

Rickety Bridge Road to Santiago 2016

White Blends, Cape Bordeaux

Vergelegen GVB 2015

White Blends, Other

Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse 2017

Méthode Cap Classique

Villiera Monro Brut 2012

Natural Sweet

Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2014

Noble Late Harvest

Paul Cluver Riesling 2017

Vin de Paille

Mullineux Straw Wine 2017

Port-style

Overgaauw Cape Vintage 1998


The Five Star wines in Platter’s South African Wine Guide 2019 are:

Cabernet Franc

Raats 2016

Raats Dolomite 2016

Van Loggerenberg Breton 2017

Cabernet Sauvignon

Bartinney Cabernet 2015

Erika Obermeyer Erika O 2015

Le Riche Reserve 2015

Reyneke Reserve 2015

Stellenbosch Reserve Ou Hoofgebou 2016

Warwick The Blue Lady 2015

Grenache Noir

Sadie Soldaat 2017

Merlot

Oldenburg 2015

Shannon The Shannon Black 2013

Thelema Reserve 2015

Petit Verdot

Thelema Sutherland Reserve 2015

Pinotage

Beeslaar 2016

Beyerskloof Diesel 2016

Kanonkop Black Label 2016

Pinot Noir

Crystallum Cuvée Cinéma 2017

Newton Johnson Family Vineyards 2017

Shiraz/Syrah

Dorrance Syrah Cuvée Ameena 2016

Hartenberg CWG Auction Reserve Shiraz 2015

Leeuwenkuil Heritage Syrah 2015

Luddite Shiraz 2014

Mullineux Iron Syrah 2016

Mullineux Schist Roundstone Syrah 2016

Porseleinberg Syrah 2016

Rall Ava Syrah 2017

Rhebokskloof Black Marble Hill Syrah 2015

Rust en Vrede Single Vineyard Syrah 2015

Tinta Barocca

Elemental Bob Graveyard 2017

Red Blends, Cape Bordeaux

Allée Bleue L’Amour Toujours 2014

Kanonkop Paul Sauer 2015

Muratie Ansela van de Caab 2015

Plaisir de Merle Signature 2012

Ridgeback Signature C 2016

Red Blends, with Pinotage

Beyerskloof Faith 2014

Red Blends, with Shiraz/Syrah

Boekenhoutskloof The Chocolate Block 2017

Erika Obermeyer Erika O Syrah-Grenache Noir-Cinsault 2016

Saronsberg Full Circle 2016

Red Blends, Other

Ernie Els Proprietor’s Blend 2016

Rust en Vrede Estate 2015

Waterford The Jem 2014

Chardonnay

Haskell Anvil 2017

Leeu Passant Stellenbosch 2016

Oak Valley Groenlandberg 2017

Restless River Ava Marie 2016

Warwick The White Lady 2017

Chenin Blanc

Beaumont Hope Marguerite 2017

Botanica Mary Delany 2017

Cederberg Five Generations 2016

City on a Hill Wine Company 2017

David & Nadia 2017

David & Nadia Hoë-Steen 2017

David & Nadia Skaliekop 2017

DeMorgenzon Reserve 2017

DeMorgenzon The Divas 2017

Metzer Montane 2017

Rall Ava 2017

Sadie Skurfberg 2017

Savage Never Been Asked To Dance 2017

Spier 21 Gables 2017

Spier Farm House Organic 2016

Spioenkop Sarah Raal 2017

Stellenrust 53 Barrel Fermented 2017

Thistle & Weed Duwweltjie 2017

Sauvignon Blanc, Unwooded

Steenberg The Black Swan 2017

Sauvignon Blanc, Wooded

Bartho Eksteen Houtskool 2017

Semillon

Alheit La Colline 2017

Benguela Cove Catalina 2017

Rickety Bridge Road to Santiago 2016

White Blends, Cape Bordeaux

Cape Point Isliedh 2017

Shannon Capall Bán 2015

Vergelegen GVB 2015

Warwick Professor Black 2017

White Blends, Other

B Vintners Vine Exploration Co Harlem to Hope 2017

Lourens Lindi Carien 2017

Mullineux Old Vines 2017

Rall 2017

Sadie Palladius 2016

Savage 2017

Stark-Condé The Field Blend 2017

Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse 2017

Méthode Cap Classique

Colmant Absolu Zero Dosage NV

Villiera Monro Brut 2012

Woolworths Vintage Reserve Brut 2012

Natural Sweet

Klein Constantia Estate Vin de Constance 2014

Noble Late Harvest

Paul Cluver Riesling 2017

Vin de Paille

Mullineux Straw Wine 2017

Port-style

De Krans Cape Vintage Reserve 2016

Overgaauw Cape Vintage 1998

Brandy/Husk Spirit

Boplaas Potstill 20 Years Reserve

Dalla Cia 10 Year Old Celebration Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot Husk Spirit

KWV 10 Year Old Vintage

KWV 12 Year Old Barrel Select

KWV 15 Year Old Alambic

KWV 20 Year Old

KWV Nexus

Oude Meester Souverein

Van Ryn 12 Year Distillers Reserve

Van Ryn 15 Year Fine Cask Reserve

Van Ryn 20 Year Collectors Reserve


Publication notes for Platter’s by Diners Club 2019

Published by: John Platter SA Wineguide (Pty) Ltd

Publisher: Jean-Pierre Rossouw

Editor: Philip van Zyl

Tasters for this edition: Winnie Bowman, Hennie Coetzee, Greg de Bruyn, Joanne Gibson, Tim James, Angela Lloyd, Cathy Marston, Fiona McDonald, Gregory Mutambe, Christine Rudman, Dave Swingler, Cathy van Zyl and Meryl Weaver.

Suggested retail price: R270              ISBN 978-0-9870046-8-0


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