Top image: Winemaker Louis van der Riet
Reaffirming its position as one of South Africa’s premium port producers, De Krans Wine Cellar in Calitzdorp has been honoured with three Platinum Awards at the 2017 South African Wine Index (SAWi) Awards, which took place in June at the luxurious Grootbos Private Nature Reserve. These were awarded to the Cape Vintage Reserve, Cape Tawny and Touriga Nacional.
The SAWi was established in 2009 with the aim of independently identifying South Africa’s best wines. The competition’s unique ‘Algorithm of Excellence’ is applied to measure the performance of individual wines, across multiple vintages, and compares and condenses the results from more than 100 multinational competitions, reviews and listings, acknowledging the nature of the competition and any additional accolades bestowed on a wine, and expresses this as a single value out of 100.
Drawing on the collective wisdom of industry experts and prominent role players, without fear of being tainted by personal preference, SAWi scores offer wine lovers an accurate measure of wine quality consistency that stretches back between three and ten years.
Earlier this year the Cape Vintage Reserve and Touriga Nacional received recognition at the National Wine Challenge / Top 100 SA Wines competition, with both wines earning a spot on the coveted Top 100 SA Wines list as well as each being awarded Double Platinum.
The Touriga Nacional is produced from grapes grown on the farm and aged in French oak barrels for 12 months. A deep dark colour the wine displays intense fruit flavours of blackberries, violets and spice. Winemaker Louis van der Riet recommends serving this award-winning wine with a succulent ostrich fillet or any other game dish.
Produced from several Portuguese varieties, and aged in oak for 22 months before bottling, the Cape Vintage Reserve, according to Louis will reach its optimal drinking potential if left to age for a further 20 to 30 years. The port is dark deep red and displays a beautiful aromatic nose of violets, red berries, vanilla and dark chocolate. On the palate, you’ll be met with alluring red fruits, dried prunes and cocoa flavours. Enjoy on its own during the colder months or serve with baked desserts or combine with a sauce to serve with your chosen dessert. Best enjoyed with matured cheeses as well.
Not forgetting the Cape Tawny, which Louis describes as being a magnificent orange sapphire colour with delicious aromas of orange peel, caramel, nuts and toffee. These flavours carry through to the palate with the added surprise of fruitcake flavours. The perfect port to enjoy on its own during the cold winter months or the paired with a delicious home baked winter pudding.
