Nedbank Green Wine Awards 2009 announced
Nedbank Green Wine Awards 2009 announced
The inaugural Nedbank Green Wine Awards were announced at the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town.
The Nedbank Green Wine Awards have come about due to the increased popularity and consumer interest in this category. Nedbank was the natural partner for the awards due to their ongoing involvement with conservation projects. Their support for the Biodiversity & Wine Initiative through the Green Trust has been in effect since the organizations inception in 2004.
The Green Wine Awards are two pronged: Best Wine from Organically Grown Grapes, and Best Environmental Practices Award.
BEST WINES FROM ORGANICALLY GROWN GRAPES
About the category
For the inaugural Nedbank Green Wine Awards, producers were asked to submit wine from organically grown grapes, a condition of entry being that submissions be accompanied by valid certification, such as that issued by the Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS).
A distinction needs to be drawn between wine made from "organically grown grapes" and "organic wine", with the former covering practices in the vineyard alone and not in the cellar. Organic viticulture can be defined as grape growing that shuns manmade pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or fertilisers.
Full-blown organic wines also require a particular approach to the winemaking, with restrictions placed on how the grapes are processed. In particular, permitted levels of sulphur dioxide (a preservative) are lower. Hence, this was very much a tasting of wines from organically grown grapes rather than of organic wines.
Judging procedures
There were 51 entries from 19 different producers, and these were divided up into categories according to grape variety or style and tasted blind by the five-person panel, with scoring done according to the 20-point/5 Star system.
The panel set about examining each wine purely on its own merits. Given that the line-up was so disparate, the feeling was that it would be best to decide on what to award only after judging had been completed. Rather neatly, one white and one red emerged a clear step above the competition, these being Lazanou Organic Vineyards Chenin Blanc 2008 and Laibach The Ladybird Red 2007 respectively. The Lazanou Organic Vineyards Chenin Blanc was declared the overall winner due to it's higher arithmetic score. (Scroll down to view all results)
BEST ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES AWARD
Each producer was asked to provide a comprehensive motivation as to why it should be considered as the leading proponent of viticultural and winemaking practices that are both environmentally sustainable and focused on excellence. A condition of entry was conformance to guidelines set out by the Integrated Production of Wine (IPW), the voluntary environmental sustainability scheme established in 1998.
The judges were Inge Kotzé, project coordinator of the Biodiversity & Wine Initiative, Tom McLaughlin, good business journey specialist at Woolworths, and Lourens van Schoor, a registered professional soil and environmental scientist and director of environmental auditing firm Enviroscientific.
The winner was Oak Valley in Elgin, which receives an IPW audit worth R11 000 provided by Enviroscientific for both farm and cellar towards EnviroWines certification (www.envirowines.com).
Waverley Hills outside Wolseley was first runner-up.
For more on the Best Environmental Practices winner click here. For a full report see the December issue of WINE magazine.
WHITE WINES
★ ★ ★ ★ FOUR STARS
Lazanou Organic Vineyards
Chenin Blanc 2008
CELLAR PRICE R60
Alc 14% RS 2g/l TA 6.31g/l pH 3.38
Deep yellow. Waxy, leesy notes on the nose.A complex palate with good fruit expression and bright acidity. Citrus through tropical fruit flavours. Well balanced with a long finish - a distinctive wine. Drink now or over 2 years.
CE 18 CF 15 CvZ 15 AL 17 TB 15
★ ★ ★ ✩ THREE AND A HALF STARS
Stellar Organics Chenin Blanc 2009* R19.95
Reyneke Reserve White 2008 R160
★ ★ ★ THREE STARS
Stellar - Woolworths Organic R29.95
Swooping Swallow
Sauvignon Blanc 2009* ARP
The Ruins CVV 2008* (Bon Cap) R40
Bon Cap Viognier 2009 R60
Tukulu Organic R68.82
Chardonnay 2008 ARP
★ ★ ✩ TWO AND A HALF STARS
Waverley Hills Organic Viticulture R35
Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2008*
Spier Organic R70
Sauvignon Blanc 2009 ARP
La Motte Pierneef Collection R94
Sauvignon Blanc 2008
★ ★ TWO STARS
Stellar - Woolworths Organic R36.95
Feeding Duck Chardonnay 2009* ARP
The Green House R40
Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (Bon Cap)
Reyneke Organic Grapes R80
Sauvignon Blanc 2008
La Motte Pierneef Collection R94
Sauvignon Blanc 2009*
★ONE STAR
Groot Parys Die Tweede Droom R39
Spontane Gisting Chenin Blanc 2009 (vinolok)
Boland Natural Ferment R40
Chenin Blanc 2009
Groot Parys Die Tweede Droom R54
Vatgegis Chenin Blanc 2008
RED WINES
★ ★ ★ ★ FOUR STARS
Laibach The Ladybird Red 2007
CELLAR PRICE R81
Alc 14% RS 2.6g/l TA 6.7g/l pH 3.59
Intense black. A brooding nose showing dark fruit and some herbal notes. The palate is rich and full but balanced. Solid fruit core, firm, chewy tannins and bright acidity. Still youthful - keep for 2 to 3 years.
CE 17 CF 15.5 CvZ 15 AL 16 TB 15.5
★ ★ ★ ✩ THREE AND A HALF STARS
Bon Cap Cape Blend 2006 R60
★ ★ ★ THREE STARS
The Ruins Pinotage 2008* (Bon Cap) R40
Waverley Hills Organic Viticulture R47
Shiraz 2005
Lazanou Organic Vineyards R80
Syrah Mourvèdre 2008
Reyneke Cornerstone 2008 R80
Laibach The Ladybird Red 2008 R81
Reyneke - Woolworths R89.95
Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah 2007 ARP
Lazanou Organic Vineyards Syrah 2007 R90
Reyneke Reserve Red 2007 R320
★ ★ ✩ TWO AND A HALF STARS
Waverley Hills Organic Viticulture R30
Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Bergwater Organically Grown R35
Shiraz 2008*
Waverley Hills Organic Viticulture R60
Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2007
Schonenberg Organic Syrah 2008 R78
Upland Organic Estate R80
Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Domain Org de Rac Family Reserve R85
Shiraz 2005
Tukulu R86.54
Organically Produced Sangiovese 2007 ARP
TMV - Woolworths Syrah Mourvèdre R190
2005 (Tulbagh Mountain Vineyards) ARP
★ ★ TWO STARS
Waverley Hills Organic Viticulture R40
Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2006
Waverley Hills Organic Viticulture R49
Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Domain Org de Rac R50
Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Waverley Hills Organic Viticulture R65
Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Upland Organic Estate R80
Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
TMV - Woolworths Syrah Mourvèdre R190
2006 (Tulbagh Mountain Vineyards) ARP
★ ONE STAR
Waverley Hills Organic No Added R45
Sulphites Cabernet Sauvignon 2009*
Domain Org de Rac Merlot 2006 R50
Domain Org de Rac Shiraz 2006 R50
Upland Organic Estate R100
Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
ALSO TASTED
Schonenberg Organic Syrah 2007 R78
OTHER WINES
★ ★ ★ ✩ THREE AND A HALF STARS
Heaven on Earth Organic R55.06
Sweet Wine 2009 (Stellar)
Groot Parys Die Tweede Droom R89
Vin de Paille 2008
★ ★ ★ THREE STARS
Upland Organic Estate Guinevere R90
Cape Ruby 2006
★ ★ ✩ TWO AND A HALF STARS
The Ruins Sparkling Brut 2009 (Bon Cap) R40
★ ★ TWO STARS
Winds of Change Cabernet Sauvignon R47
Dry Rosé Sparkling Wine (Sonop)
PRICES: wines in each quality grouping
are listed in order of ascending price - all
ex-cellar unless otherwise stipulated.
ARP Approximate retail price
* Bottled under screwcap
