The Best South African Pinot Noir Wines To Sip On

In conjunction with Tonnellerie Saint Martin, Winemag.co.za is pleased to announce the first annual Pinot Noir Report.

Though a notoriously difficult grape to work with on account of how fragile it is, Pinot Noir is capable of making wines of great refinement. It is at its most glorious in Burgundy, France, but there are today impressive examples from Oregon in the USA, New Zealand’s South Island and increasingly South Africa. At the end of 2016, there were 1 153ha planted, the equivalent of 1.2% of the national vineyard and making it the seventh most planted red variety in the country behind Cinsaut and ahead of Cabernet Franc.

52 entries were received from 33 producers for this year’s competition. 14 wines were rated 90 or higher on the 100-point quality scale and these were recognised during an event held at Proof Wine Bar in Somerset West on Tuesday, 18 September.

The top wines were as follows:

93
Creation Reserve 2015

92
Dabar 2014
Dabar 2015
Newton Johnson Family Vineyards 2016
Paul Cluver Seven Flags 2015

91
De Grendel Op die Berg 2014
Shannon Rockview Ridge 2015

90
B Vintners Reservoir Road 2016
Creation Reserve 2016
Hamilton Russell Vineyards 2016
Newton Johnson Walker Bay 2016
Oak Valley Sounds of Silence 2015
The Fledge & Co. Katvis 2016
Vrede en Lust 2016

As producer of the best wine overall, Creation won a new 228-litre barrel from Tonnellerie Saint Martin.

To read the report in full, go to www.winemag.co.za.