Tasting panel happy with results

This year sees no 5-Star wine in the Brenn-O-Kem Shiraz Challenge, and while the judging panel was generally disappointed in the overall quality of wines, this year’s top rated wines sent a clear message to producers: elegance and finesse are virtues that attract the star ratings. Karl Lambour of Constantia Glen remarked that this is exactly what appealed to him in this year’s winning wine: “The top-scoring wine today showed elegance and poise; it is a style that I wish more winemakers would emulate,” he said.

In contrast, James Pietersen of Belthazar observed that many wines in the line-up showed a tendency towards over-oaking: “it is absolutely unnecessary as the variety already has sweetness.”

Wine writer Angela Lloyd added that, for her, wines lacked personality “too many wines were just too similar.”
Out of the 154 wines rated, only nine wines managed to score a 4-Star rating, with the winning wine, at 4½-Stars, just falling short of the ultimate accolade.

 

For full results of the Brenn-O-Kemm Shiraz Challenge, don't miss the August issue of Wine magazine.