September sixth – Tim Atkin MW, who releases his tenth South Africa Report tomorrow (6 September) with Chenin Blanc and Stellenbosch wines exhibiting significantly nicely, contends the 2021 classic may rank as one of many Cape’s best-ever vintages to this point.
“General, I’m extraordinarily impressed with the standard of what I tasted in 2022, particularly from the 2017 and 2021 vintages. I’m extra satisfied than ever that 2017 deserves its place among the many best-ever Cape harvests, pretty much as good as and, in some circumstances, even higher than 2015. However I’ve a sense that 2021 may equal and presumably surpass it.”
He’s “amazed by the outstanding progress” the nation has made since his first report issued in 2013 and is urging producers “to take nice satisfaction in Model South Africa”. That is as 8,5% of the report 2 282 wines tasted from 433 wineries garner scores of 95 or larger. For a number of producers to function on this checklist of 195 wines, it’s a first-time achievement.
“South Africans are a resilient bunch, however I used to be amazed by how the wine sector has bounced again after so many pandemic-induced setbacks. Producers are nonetheless pushing viticultural boundaries in locations like Sutherland, Stanford, in addition to the Koo Plateau and the Agulhas Triangle and, on the high finish, rising grapes that specific their terroir with rising constancy and precision throughout the Western Cape.”
Stand-out classes amongst the top-scoring wines this 12 months are usually not solely Chenin and Shiraz/Syrah as within the latest previous, he says, but in addition Bordeaux blends, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. “South Africa has proved it might make nearly any wine model nicely, whereas its greatest wines belong among the many world’s elite.
“There may be additionally a really attention-grabbing dynamic at play. Larger numbers of younger-generation winemakers are excelling, and prompting a few of the extra established producers to innovate extra. All spherical, these developments counsel that South Africa stays one of the vital thrilling wine-producing nations with nonetheless a lot potential to disclose.”
He notes the extent to which the nation’s socio-political transformation is gathering momentum, bringing extra folks of color into pivotal positions inside the wine trade.
Additionally encouraging is the robust dedication to addressing local weather change with new approaches to rootstocks, trellising techniques, cowl crops and ploughing methods to see what works greatest in drier circumstances, whereas giving better focus to drought-resistant varieties, from Assyrtiko to Vermentino.
Stellenbosch can reaffirm its pre-eminent regional place, because the supply of a 3rd of all of the top-scoring wines, he confirms, adopted at a ways by the Swartland.
Whereas no wine achieves an ideal rating of 100 factors this 12 months, two 2020 wines earn scores of 99. One white and one pink, they’re the Boekenhoutskloof Semillon and Sadie Household’s Columella. (Eben Sadie, who recurrently garners amongst the best Tim Atkin rankings, has twice been topped Winemaker of the Yr, in 2015 and once more in 2019.)
This 12 months, there are 10 wines that rating 98 every.
To buy the report, the place extra element will be discovered, go to www.timatkin.com.
THE PODIUM 2022 (TOP ACHIEVERS):
- Winemaker of the Yr: Duncan Savage of Savage Wines
- Younger Winemaker of the Yr: Charla Bosman of Sijnn
- Viticulturist of the Yr: Sheldon van Wyk
- Producers’ Cellar of the Yr: Darling Cellars
- Winemaking Legend: Kevin Arnold
- Greatest Cellar Door Expertise: Benguela Cove
- General White Wine of the Yr: 2020 Boekenhoutskloof Semillon, Franschhoek
- General Pink Wine of the Yr: 2020 Sadie Household Columella, Swartland
- General Rosé of the Yr: 2021 Lievland Liefkoos Rosé, Stellenbosch
- General Glowing Wine of the Yr: 2015 Graham Beck Cuvée Clive Magnum, Western Cape
- General Candy Wine of the Yr: NV Mullineux Olerasay Straw Wine #3, Swartland
- General Fortified Wine of the Yr: 2005 Boplaas Cape Tawny Single Harvest Colheita, Calitzdorp
- Pink Wine Discovery of the Yr: 2019 Kershaw Syrah Deconstructed Groenland Bokkeveld Shale SH22, Elgin
- White Wine Discovery of the Yr: 2021 Rall Noa Chenin Blanc, Swartland
- Glowing Wine Discovery of the Yr: 2014 Le Lude Venus Brut Nature, Western Cape
- Greatest Worth White of the Yr: 2021 Paul Cluver Village Chardonnay, Elgin
- Greatest Worth Pink of the Yr: 2021 Brookdale Mason Street Syrah, Paarl
- Greatest Worth Rosé of the Yr: 2021 Dieu Donné Blanc de Noir, Franschhoek
- Greatest Worth Glowing Wine of the Yr: 2013 Bon Braveness Jacques Bruère Brut Reserve, Robertson
- Greatest Worth Candy Wine of the Yr: 2020 Slanghoek Vineyard Crème de Chenin, Slanghoek
- Greatest Worth Fortified Wine of the Yr: NV KWV Basic Cape Tawny, Western Cape.
Go to https://timatkin.com/about-tim/ for extra details about Atkin’s profession in wine.
