Classic Wine Trophy 2011 results
The winnners in the annual Classic Wine Trophy were announced last week Friday at the Taj Hotel, Cape Town.
Seeking to identify wines that are more European in style in terms of their elegance, balance and finesse – as oppose to fruit-forward and more bombastic and modern – the panel of French Judges awarded gold medals to a list of wines which ranged from SA’s very best to lesser-known ‘surprises’.
Wine entries are tasted 100% blind and the competition limits the number of trophy winners to only 17 gold medals. Top wineries were well represented with gold medals awarded to Hamilton Russell, Vergelegen, Glen Carlou, Thelema, Paul Cluver and Groot Constantia, the latter also named the overall winner of the competition – winning winemaker Boela Gerber a return flight to France and the coveted Bacchus Trophy.
Judges in this year's competition were Francois Villard, a leading Northern Rhone producer, Ricardo Utarroz, a journalist for Liberation magazine, Oliver Poels, editor and journalist for La Revue de Vin de France, Claude de Gilois, French wine importer, wine writer and founder of Vins du Monde, Pieter de Villiers, co-owner of the Domaine Mas Angel in the Languedoc Roussillon, Jean-Vincent Ridon, owner and winemaker of Signal Hill Winery in Cape Town, Khaled Rouabah, owner and winemaker of Domaine du Couer in Pommard, Philippe Dietrich, winemaker and director of Michael Partzold Wine Service.
Christophe Durand, proprietor of Vins D'Orrance, was the convenor.
Classic Wine Trophy 2011 Overall Winner
Groot Constantia
Best Sparkling Wine Trophy
Teddy Hall Wines Blanc de Blanc 2005
Best White Wine Trophy
Groot Constantia Gouverneurs Chardonnay 2009
Best Red Wine Trophy
Groot Constantia Shiraz 2008
Best Sweet Wine Trophy
Quinta do Sul (7 varieties) 2008
Gold Winners White Wine Category
Groot Constantia Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay 2009
Glen Carlou Quartz Stone Chardonnay 2009
Vergelegen Reserve Chardonnay 2009
Gold Winners Red Wine Category
Raka Biography Shiraz 2008
La Motte Pierneef (Shiraz/Viognier) 2008
Paul Cluver Seven Flags Pinot Noir 2008
Cape Chamonix Pinot Noir 2008
Druk My Niet Find Art School Collection (Cabernet Sauvignon) 2009
Warwick Wine Trilogy (Bordeaux Blend) 2007
Thelema Sutherland (Cabernet Sauvignon/Petit Verdot) 2008
Groot Constantia Pinotage 2009
Southern Right Pinotage 2009
Or how does impartiality rules? When the show organizer Christophe Durand is a barrel and bottle supplier to many wineries? or the importer of a certain winning wine into France is one of the judges, was the results audited? who was the auditing firm?
Would be interesting to hear from the organizer? "