Platter’s by Diners Club South African Wine Guide 2019 was launched at Cape Town’s Table Bay Hotel earlier this week and a total of 90 wines achieved the coveted Five Star status this year.
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 Platter’s Five Star wines show consistent brilliance.
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 Editor’s 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 these 25 remarkable wines follows after the break below.
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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 Heritage 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 (jpr@wineonaplatter.com)
Editor: Philip van Zyl (pvz@wineonaplatter.com)
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