The Awards function for The Trophy Wine Show was hosted at Investec Cape Town on 6 July 2022. The change from the usual venue heralded a new era in the history of the show. This year, Investec became the headline sponsor of the wine industry’s most prestigious wine competition – The Trophy Wine Show. The partnership unites Investec’s “Out of the Ordinary” approach to client service with the competition’s commitment to identifying South Africa’s best wines.
For the first time since the Covid travel bans, it has again become possible to have international judges join local palates at the tasting benches. With leading experts from the United States, Britain and France as part of the judging and review process, would the competition maintain its legendary rigour and parsimony in awarding gold medals and trophies? Would the different panel composition yield a wholly new line up of top laureates?
As the detailed awards list below indicates, most trophy and gold medal winners have previously occupied a space in The Trophy Wine Show’s winners’ enclosure. Consistency driven by the competition’s unique judging methodology delivers an intriguing predictability in terms of who gains access to the podium.
The trophy for the show’s best producer was awarded this year to Spier Wine Farm. This is the second time that Spier has taken home the coveted Most Successful Producer overall award. The Investec Trophy for the Best Red Wine was won by Glen Carlou for the cellar’s 2019 red blend, which also won the Riedel Trophy for the best Bordeaux Blend and the inaugural Vinolok Trophy for the best Premium wine.
The Investec Trophy for the Show’s best white wine was won by Paul Cluver Estate for its 2020 Chardonnay. The Rosa Kruger Trophy for the best Old Vine wine is awarded to a gold medal-winning wine produced entirely from certified heritage vineyards (minimum vine age 35 years). This year’s laureate is Brookdale for its single vineyard Chenin Blanc 2020.
The International Judges’ Trophy – awarded to the wine which has the highest score from the three international judges on the trophy panel – was taken home this year by Oldenburg vineyards for the cellar’s 2021 Chardonnay.
One of the only newcomers on the trophy-winners’ podium this year was Trade Winds, which won the Sunday Times Trophy for the show’s best Sauvignon Blanc. The cellar shared this newcomer status with Brookdale estate, MAN Family Wines, Louisvale, and Babylonstoren.
These achievements speak for themselves, but when seen in the context of the competition’s traditional low medal counts, they count a great deal. 673 wines were entered into The Trophy Wine Show 2022. Of this number only 29 won gold medals. Of the gold medallists 20 won trophies. In addition 133 Silver and 346 bronze medals were awarded.
Cumesh Moodliar, head of Investec Private Bank SA, says: “We know many of our clients will enjoy the bespoke tastings and engagement opportunities that the Trophy Wine and Spirits Shows, brought to you by Investec, present – and we look forward to hosting them.”
All the Trophy Winners
Investec Trophy for Most Successful Producer Overall
Spier Wine Farm
Miele Trophy for Best Chardonnay, Investec Trophy for Best White Wine Overall
Paul Cluver Estate Chardonnay 2020
Riedel Trophy for Best Bordeaux-style Red Blend, Vinolok Trophy for Best Premium Wine, Investec Trophy for Best Red Wine Overall
Glen Carlou Collection Red Blend 2019
Investec Trophy for Discovery of the Show – Best Value Gold Medallist
MAN Skaapveld Syrah 2020
Investec International Judges’ Trophy
Oldenburg Chardonnay 2021
Investec Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon
Louisvale Limited Edition Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Sowetan Trophy for Best Cap Classique
Bon Courage Jacques Bruére Brut Reserve Cap Classique 2013
Tony Mossop Trophy for Best Cape Port
Delaire Graff Cape Vintage 2019
Harold Eedes Trophy for Best Chenin Blanc
Spier Woolworths Private Collection Chenin Blanc 2020
Rosa Kruger Trophy for Best Old Vine Wine
Brookdale Chenin Blanc Single Vineyard 2020
Sunday Times Trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc Trade Winds Sauvignon Blanc 2021 (Unwooded)
Business Day Trophy for Best Shiraz
Ghost in the Machine Shiraz 2020 (The Drift Estate)
Trophy for Best Niche White
Jordan The Real McCoy Riesling 2021
Financial Mail Trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Blend
Highlands Road Sine Cera 2017
Investec Trophy for Best Semillon
Old Road Grand-mére Semillon 2018
Investec Trophy for Best Merlot
Spier Woolworths Signature Series Merlot 2018
Trophy for Best Pinotage
Warwick The First Lady Pinotage 2020
Trophy for Best Museum Class Cape Port
De Krans Cape Vintage Reserve 2012
Trophy for Best Museum Class Chenin Blanc
Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Old Bush Vine Chenin Blanc 2013
Trophy for Best Museum Class Sauvignon Blanc
Nederburg Two Centuries Sauvignon Blanc 2016 (Wooded)
Trophy for Best Museum Class Dessert Wine
Nederburg Private Bin Eminence Noble Late Harvest Muscadel 2012
Gold Medal Winners
Babylonstoren Chardonnay 2021
Brookdale Chenin Blanc Single Vineyard 2020
Cilmor Winemaker’s Selection Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2021
Diemersdal Pinotage Reserve 2020
Durbanville Hills Collectors Reserve The Castle of Good Hope Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 Kleine Zalze Vintage Brut Méthode Cap Classique 2015
La Vierge Jezebelle Chardonnay 2021
Lievland Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2021
MAN Skaapveld Syrah 2020
Oldenburg Chardonnay 2021
Villiera Monro Brut 2015
Vrede en Lust Kogelberg Chenin Blanc 2019
THE 2022 JUDGES
Now in its 21st year, The Trophy Wine Show enjoys an unparalleled reputation for identifying the very best Cape wines, recognising the achievements of the country’s winemakers, and honouring excellence in the wine industry. The competition was described by Jancis Robinson MW OBE (Judge in 2003 and 2007) as possibly the toughest of its kind in the world. Kirk Bauer (The 2019 international judge from Germany) commented: “With the composition of the jury – a combination of winemakers, sommeliers, distributors and international judges – it is a perfect set-up for the competition to deliver reliable results and reliable recommendations to the consumers. The Trophy judging process is very precise and very democratic.”
The judging panel is chaired by wine authority Michael Fridjhon. The three international judges this year included Anthony Rose, contributor to publications including Decanter Magazine, The World of Fine Wine, The Real Review, The Financial Times’ How to Spend It (online) and the Oxford Companion to Wine. He joined Anthony Mueller, US sommelier and wine presenter with more than 20 years of experience in the food and wine industry and the Robert Parker Wine Advocate reviewer for South Africa, and Eric Goettelmann Executive Sommelier of the multi-Michelin-starred Relais Bernard Loiseau Group in Burgundy, France. Holder of an International Master of Wine and Spirits degree.
The three international judges formed part of a star-studded and hugely experienced group whose local members include Tongai Joseph Dhafana, sommelier turned winemaker; Gynore Fredericks, winemaker of Great Heart Wines and assistant winemaker at Mullineux and Leeu Family Wines, and Spencer Fondaumiere, Chairperson of the South African Sommeliers’ Association. Other senior panellists included François Rautenbach, who directs the Singita Conservation Group’s fine wine programme and has been a judge at the TWS for several years, JD Pretorius, cellarmaster at Warwick Wines, Heidy Duminy CWM, principal of the Cape Wine Academy, Patson Mathonsi, sommelier, wine judge and regional sales manager for Spier, and Cathy van Zyl MW, an associate editor of Platter’s South African Wine Guide and co-author of the South African chapter in The Wine Report for several years. Previous chair and now vice-chair of the Institute of Masters of Wine’s education committee.
This year’s associate judges included Malu Lambert, Corlien Morris, Kyle Davids, Lisa de Beer, Wellington Muromba, Eben February and Kudzai Kupeta. They participated in the tasting and the post-judging discussion, though their scores were not taken into account in the final tally. Their involvement provides an essential training platform for the country’s wine judges of the future.
Categories: Event
