Best Value Wine Guide 2012

Articles and Directories

• Best Value Awards
• Best Value Cellar Overall
• Best Value Cellar Directory
• Best Value in Numbers
• Best Value Wine Guide 2011

Best Value Wines

• Best Value Whites
• Best Value Rosé
• Best Value Reds
• Best Value Port and Sherry
• Best Value Dessert and Sparkling Wines

Best Value Reds

The judges use a standard 20-point scoring system: 5 stars awarded for a score of 18 or more, 41⁄2 for 17 and 4 stars for a score of 16, 31⁄2 for 15.5 points, 3 stars for 15 out of 20 and 21⁄2 for 14.5 points. Wines rated lower than 21⁄2 stars were not eligible for inclusion in the 2012 Best Value Wine Guide, with the judges endeavouring to help consumers steer clear of plain ordinary wines in addition to those that are faulty or possibly even unpleasant.

	Superlative wine, top class; a masterpiece
	Excellent, wine of distinction (41⁄2 Stars = on the cusp of 5 Stars)
	Good (3 Stars) to very good (31⁄2 Stars). Fine character and style.
	Average, appealing
	Acceptable, ordinary
	Half a star, as in 21⁄2 Stars, 31⁄2 Stars, 41⁄2 Stars

Below are 25 of the top Best Value red wines of 2012, 18 of which were awarded the highest accolade (V19 or V20) for their combined high quality score and affordable price.

399 red wines were entered and 247 judged for the Best Value Wine Guide 2012. Of these, 150 made the grade and have been featured in the guide. To see all finalists buy the book now.

RED WINE BLENDS

Four Cousins Dry Red
R42.00		V20
The Retief cousins of Van Loveren are responsible for something of a wine revolution, turning people onto fruity, cheery, uncomplicated quaffing wine by the dozen! The most important thing for them is for the wine to speak of fruit – and here it is all about mulberries and blueberry succulence. Add a light sheen of oak but not too much tannin to tie up the taste buds and you have a winner. Put it in a 1.5l bottle and you have twice the amount of drinking pleasure!
Flamingo Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2010
R27.50		V20
Flamingo Bay is a range in the greater Darling Cellars portfolio and, like the bird, this is a well-balanced wine. Deliciously rounded and plush with dark berry fruit, cassis, chocolate and a bit of peppery spice. Good length, body and concentration of fruit.
Versus Simply Rocking Red 2010
R23.00		V20
This wine’s a huge hit at the annual Splashy Fen Music Festival in the Drakensberg every Easter. And it does rock – with abundant ripe, sweet berry fruit. Honest, uncomplicated, clean cherry and plum flavours with a gentle brush of oak tannin. The nifty packaging pouch in the Versus range of wines is handy for picnics, braais and walks. (Note: subsequent to judging the name of this wine was changed to Versus Dry Red.)
Du Toitskloof Cellar Pinotage Merlot Ruby Cabernet 2010
R29.00		V19
Yet another of the wines that made this winery the Best Value Cellar of the Year. An easy-to-drink red. Ripe raspberry and cranberry leap from the nose to the taste buds. Lovely and fresh with succulence galore. Yet it’s not just about the fruit – there is some guts and grip from a bit of oak holding it all together and adding structure.
Lord Somerset Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
R24.95		V18
Bouquet of cassis and black fruit that carries through to the palate. Still young with some dry tannin obvious but there’s ample fruit and succulence.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Lord Somerset Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
R24.95		V20
To wine lovers the world over Cabernet Sauvignon is regarded as the king of grapes – so why not give it a noble identity? In this case, that of Lord Somerset who was the British Governor of the Cape from 1814. And the wine brand is based in Somerset West, the town named after the same Lord, of course. The immediate impression is one of plushness and velvety texture. Spicy cedar and cassis aromas and flavours can be found but are balanced by restrained oak tannin and gentle succulence. It’s medium bodied with good concentration and delightful length.
Secret Cellar 442 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
R29.99		V19
The origins of this wine are a well-kept secret! This is Ultra Liquor’s own brand and their super-selector is sent out to discreetly find unique wines for their purposes. This fits the bill nicely. Abundant blackberry and ripe plum fruit with some earthy forest-floor flavours. Nice tannic grip adds backbone and structure to the juicy mouthful. Definitely a wine to be enjoyed with food.
BC Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
R22.00		V19
Every year Brandvlei Wines, a former winner of overall Best Value Cellar (2006), manages to get a host of wines among the top scorers. This is no exception. Aromas of ripe red fruit – cherries and plums – jump out of the glass. In the mouth it’s quite light bodied but with decent concentration and some savoury, leathery spice flavours. A soundly made commercial prospect.
The Elements Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
R27.00		V18
Plum aromas which transfer onto the palate. Soft and plush with some chocolate and lollipop sweetness. Medium bodied and approachable. Rich finish.
Perdeberg Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
R35.30		V16
Immediate appeal on this one: delicious ripe blackberry fruit on nose and palate. Blueberries, spice and toasted nuts. Hint of chocolate too. A light, enjoyable wine that is eminently sociable, yet has a serious side as well. It won’t disgrace the dinner table or play second fiddle to the Sunday roast.

SHIRAZ

Rooiberg Shiraz 2009
R34.50		V20
As already mentioned, this Robertson winery has more wines in this issue of the Best Value Wine Guide than you have fingers on both hands! Not only that but it runs the gamut from serious reds to fortified dessert wines, taking in bubblies and whites too. And when you taste wines like this spicy raspberry and plum charmer it’s easy to see why. Gentle backbone from light oaking. The fruit, not the wood, is the hero here. Tasty to the end.
Tall Horse Shiraz 2010
R29.45		V20
Check out this brand’s website! It’s worth it just for the few seconds of visuals while the content loads... and then there’s a heap of useless but interesting information. That giraffes can lick their own ears with their 24-inch tongues, for example. But about the wine: lovely clean sweet fruit – plums and red berries – with well managed oak underpinning it all. Light bodied and easy drinking.
Spier Signature Shiraz 2010
R49.00		V19
Highlight this one immediately. It’s one of only nine 4-Star wines in the entire Best Value Guide. Not really a surprise since this Stellenbosch winery is renowned for producing a variety of top-notch wines across a range of price points. This is a berry-filled mouthful with a twist of white pepper and a light herbal touch adding an extra dimension. Of course, all of that fruit is beautifully balanced by some oak contact. Attractive and lengthy, a very smart wine.
Secret Cellar 503 Reserve Shiraz 2007
R29.99		V19
Ultra Liquors believes it’s important to offer its customers something unique – a wine they can’t get anywhere else under a different label. But they want it to remain a secret and hence the Secret Cellar range. Black cherries, spice and a touch of leather on the palate. Light and gentle with the oaking very discreet and not overwhelming the fruit. Nice length of flavour.
Bovlei Cellar Shiraz 2010
R32.00		V18
Aromatic and flavour appeal galore: very ripe mulberries and blueberries with some heady spices too. Succulent and juicy with a yielding softness. Acidity is lively but adds refreshment.

PINOTAGE

Rooiberg Winery Pinotage 2010
R34.50		V20
A denser, darker example of Pinotage from this Robertson winery which has more than a dozen wines in the guide. What does that say about their ability to hit the perfect value/quality ratio? Some intriguing old-fashioned stoep polish aromas give way to flavours of cassis, liquorice and some tarry coffee notes. Rich ripe fruit and silky tannins with nice complexity and oak usage. Good length.
Fish Hoek Pinotage 2009
R35.00		V20
As fun and frolicsome as time spent on the beach of the same name. Blueberry and spice with a hint of more earthy beetroot on the palate. Tangy and fresh with light tannin grip and structure. It’s not overly complicated and is all about enjoyment and drinking pleasure. Don’t analyse it, just keep the glass topped up!
Meerkat Pinotage 2009 (Schalk Burger & Sons)
R40.00		V20
Meerkats are gregarious creatures, this Schalk Burger wine’s label states, and they’re made for friends and fun – but this wine is getting serious. It’s made it onto the Pinotage Top 10 roll of honour for its charming appeal. Deliciously uncomplicated in its raspberry and blackberry plum fruit with a twist of spice and light liquorice and earth darkness. As balanced as one of the little critters on its hind paws, it begs to be enjoyed in a social environment.
Eagle’s Cliff Pinotage 2010
R30.00		V19
Another Breedekloof winery hitting the ball out of the park with the price to pleasure ratio. Tasty light cherry and raspberry fruit abundance on the nose which then follows into the mouth. It’s not overly fleshy with a leaner structure but there are some appealing smoky oak notes which add interest and length to the whole. A well-judged wine overall.
Robertson Winery Pinotage 2010
R35.90		V19
Another winery which produces a phenomenal amount of wine – almost all of it deliciously drinkable. Robertson also has some very serious top-end stuff with price tags that take it out of consideration for this guide. This Pinotage is full of black cherry and raspberry fruit with a light coffee overtone. Juicy and tangy, it is ripe and full of flavour with an interesting dimension added by charry oak notes. Cries out for food and friends.

MERLOT

Openers Merlot 2010
R33.60		V20
Waterstone Wines is located in prime grape-growing country: the Helderberg area of Stellenbosch. The Openers is just one of its ranges and the label depicts corkscrews through the ages. But it’s all about the wine: shy mulberry fruit with a light chocolate and cherry nuance. Light, simple and easy it is not overly complex. Easy drinking and soft. Everything a Merlot should be.
Badsberg Merlot 2009
R34.00		V20
The Breedekloof flanks the N1 highway near Worcester and is home to a number of wineries producing excellent value-for-money wines. Badsberg is one of them. There’s a distinctly spicy biltong and coriander nose which makes way for cranberry and coconut flavours in the mouth. It’s succulent and light bodied with some chocolate nuances too. Well balanced with a lovely long fruity tail.
Boland Cellar Flutterby Merlot 2010
R28.00		V17
Shy violet whiffs. Black fruit on the palate with some spice too. The oak that has been used is fairly obvious and a touch tannic too. A firmly structured offering.
Rooiberg Winery Merlot 2010
R34.50		V17
Immediate appeal in its forward coffee and chocolate simplicity. Ample black and blueberry fruit and firm tannins in the mouth. Well structured and long, it’s a popular style and will have legions of fans.
Umfiki Merlot NV (Goudini Wines)
R29.99		V16
Surprising complexity here: mulberries, blueberries, spice and a light brush of herbs underneath it all. Good body and concentration with pleasing length of flavour. Well recommended.