In a showstopping moment, Fleur du Cap Lazlo 2019 has been awarded Wine of the Year in the Bordeaux Red Blend category and a five-star rating by Platter’s by Diners Club Wine Guide 2023.
The Fleur du Cap Unfiltered Merlot 2019 and Fleur du Cap Unfiltered Chardonnay 2021, both achieved 4 ½ stars.
In its 43rd edition, the wine guide features over 900 producers, merchants, and brands, including 37 new, and over 8,000 locally produced wines, brandies, husk spirits, and sherry-style wines.
In the category Bordeaux Red Blend, 17 wines received the sought-after 5* rating of which the Fleur du Cap Lazlo 2019 was awarded as the Wine of the Year.
Winemaker Tammy Claasen says the recognition is an incredible achievement, especially if one considers the world-class wines that have been awarded five stars in the category.
“Every winemaker is in pursuit of the sought-after 5* star rating. To achieve this status the wines must undergo a rigorous process of blind assessment in order to be named, what the judges consider, a ‘superlative, South African classic’. The pinnacle of this is to be named the Wine of the Year across all these 5* wines and we are overjoyed of being awarded the title this year, a fitting tribute to the wine’s name-sake, Dr Julius Laszlö.
The wine is named after Dr Laszlö, the innovative, visionary Cellar Master at Die Bergkelder who catapulted South African winemaking into the international league in the 1980s. Credited with playing a pivotal role in changing the face of the South African wine industry, he was one of the key protagonists in upgrading the quality of vineyards established at the Cape, sourcing new vine material, and focusing on the cultivation of noble wine grape varieties.
“The wine epitomises the Fleur du Cap philosophy of meticulous selection and regional excellence, hand-selecting grapes from across the Winelands to truly reflect the varietal character of each component in the blend, says Tammy.”
The wine is rich and full-bodied with intense aromas of cherry and red plums with hints of pencil shavings and tobacco notes. The tannins are lush but firm with a lingering ripe fruit finish.
The Fleur du Cap Laszlo 2019 is a rich, powerful blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Malbec, 18% Petit Verdot, 7% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were sourced from Stellenbosch Kloof where the vineyard is situated on a warmer, east-west slope with cooling afternoon breezes. The Malbec grapes were harvested from a vineyard in Darling on a north-facing slope, whilst the Petit Verdot from a vineyard in Philadelphia situated on an east-facing slope. The Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes were harvested from vineyards in Devonvale, and planted on a cool south-east-facing slope and east-west-facing slope.
In the cellar, each varietal was fermented separately in a combination of 1st and 2nd fill French oak barrels, and after racking, matured in the same barrels for 24 months. After extensive barrel selection and blending trials, the final blend was selected, and bottled without filtration.
The latest accolades awarded to Fleur du Cap, including the Fleur du Cap Unfiltered Merlot 2019 being awarded as the Best Merlot at the SA Terroir Awards 2022 and the Fleur du Cap Essence Merlot 2022 achieving a double gold at the Michelangelo International Wine and Spirits Awards 2022, underscore the brand’s continuous quality delivery.
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