Best Value Wine Guide 2010 Winners

Best Value Cellar Overall: Du Toitskloof Cellar does it yet again!

Du Toitskloof Cellar previously won the title of Best Value Cellar in 2002, 2003 and 2005. No other winery has won overall honours in the Value Awards competition twice, let alone four times. There isn't any magic involved, but there is a formula - it's called getting most things right.

Just outside Rawsonville in the Breedekloof district, the winery is on the northern side of the Du Toitskloof Pass and Huguenot Tunnel. The cellar and vineyards are in close proximity to the mountains, which make for cooler growing conditions than those closer to Worcester in the east, where the valley broadens and has less shade and less protection from warm breezes on hot summer days... When you're looking for flavour concentration and natural acid balance in white wines, a few degrees temperature can make all the difference.

The 22 farms supplying to this co-operative are within a 10km radius of the winery, not spread out far and wide like many other co-ops. They all benefit from the same climate, which includes good winter rains (those mountains again), and a relatively high water table for the vines to draw from or easy access whenever irrigation is required. The clustering not only allows for quicker delivery of grapes, but it also makes communication easier between the farmers, the viticulturist and the winemakers.

Du Toitskloof might be blessed with good geography but little is left to chance. Electronic probes are used to check moisture levels in the various soils that range from sandy Fernwood to granite-based Oakleaf. The 750 hectares of vineyards are a mix of bushvines and trellised plants, and night- or early-morning harvesting is a regular practice as another part of the focus to get the best possible quality into the bottle. In addition, a replanting programme is ongoing - not only to keep the vineyards in a healthy state but also to ensure that the range remains current and fashionable (Viognier, Petit Verdot, Nebbiolo and Portuguese cultivars for the Ruby Port have joined the varietal stable over the years).

From a modest start in 1962 with just six farmers geared to selling most of the production in bulk, the operation has grown to a crush of over 13 000 tons inclusive of an own-label range that has been well thought out and which is popular on both the local and international markets. As at most of the better cellars, the separation of different styles of fruit before and during the winemaking is standard practice - this coupled to an in-depth know-ledge of the farms and the growing conditions makes blending or creating new styles of wines that much more successful.

The management structure is also important... Cellarmaster and general manager Philip Jordaan has been at the co-op since 1983, and in 2008 when a 25th anniversary function was held to honour him, the glowing accolades were an indication of what a key role he plays at Du Toitskloof and of how much he is respected. In an outfit like this, one person can't take all the credit, but a visionary approach such as Jordaan's can have a very big influence on the direction taken and positioning for the future. He is helped by an excellent team that includes viticulturist Leon Dippenaar and winemakers Derrick Cupido (since 1993), Shawn Thomson (since 1999) and Christo Basson (since 2002). Talk about depth of experience! And that they haven't been poached by other cellars speaks volumes about Jordaan's management style.

So, what exactly did Du Toitskloof achieve to take the Best Value Cellar award yet again? This guide is about quality/price ratios, the best bargains, and that's where the champions scored slightly better than the other cellars in contention. Seven Du Toitskloof wines were selected for the book this year, not one of them scored less than 8 out of 10 on the Value scale, and four - two non-vintage red blends, a Chenin Blanc and a Rosé - qualified for Value Awards. Only two of Du Toitskloof's listings are priced above R30 a bottle, and four of them - including two of the Value Award winners - were rated 3½ Stars for quality (‘very good, fine character').

As the A-Team put it: ‘Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?'

 

TOP 10 CELLARS ON VALUE
1 Du Toitskloof Cellar
2 Rooiberg Winery
3 Swartland Winery
4 Welmoed Winery
5 Slanghoek Winery
6 Koelenhof Winery
6 Bon Courage Estate
8 Van Loveren Vineyards
9 Aan de Doorns Winery
9 Brandvlei Cellar