Boschendal Estate continues to take its award-winning reputation internationally, winning a Gold medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards in London for its coveted Jean le Long Prestige Cuvée Cap Classique 2009, which is rapidly garnering a reputation as one of South Africa’s most-awarded Cap Classique wines. With the Jean le Long Cap Classique accruing a score of 96pts, 11 other diverse wines and wine-styles from this iconic wine estate in Groot Drakenstein achieved ratings of 90pts or more at this wine show, regarded as one of the world’s most important.

This year the Decanter World Wine Awards was judged by over 170 expert international judges who scrutinised the 18 000 wines entered from 56 countries. Judging took place last month at Canary Wharf in London at the offices of Decanter magazine, with the awards announced last week.

Shirley van Wyk, Boschendal’s marketing manager, says this international recognition at the Decanter World Wine Awards is a terrific commendation for the estate’s three winemakers who consistently produce a diverse range of wines across grape varietals and wine-styles – each focused on their passion and expertise. The Decanter accolades for Boschendal also come at a critical time for the South African wine industry.

“The Decanter Awards have always been one of the most important platforms from which to showcase the quality of your wines, but I think this year’s competition was of special significance for South African wine producers,” says Van Wyk. 

“The past 15 months have changed the country’s wine industry irrevocably due to the harsh impact of the government’s banning the sale of alcohol for weeks at a time as part of its measures to curb Covid-19. Besides the devastating impact this has had on the wine industry due to the total loss of retail and on-trade sales, the situation has re-emphasised the importance of creating a larger presence for our premium wine offering in the international marketplace. Major wine shows, such as the Decanter International Wine Awards, provide a high-profile platform for the South African industry to stand up and be counted, therefore the results achieved by Boschendal and the other Cape wineries at this year’s show are of tremendous importance.”

While extremely pleased at the showing of Boschendal’s portfolio, Van Wyk expressed special delight at the estate’s Jean le Long Prestige Cuvée 2009 Cap Classique once again stepping up on the Gold medal winners’ podium.

“Not only is this wine rapidly becoming a legendary Cap Classique having won an array of awards, including most recently a Gold at the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show, but it also highlights Boschendal’s Cap Classique pedigree in a year in which this category celebrates its 50th anniversary,” says Van Wyk. “Boschendal was the second winery to venture into Cap Classique production, making its first sparkling wine 40 years ago this year. Thus, receiving this recognition in our 40th anniversary of Cap Classique production emphasises the profound role this category plays within the Boschendal brand. 

“The maiden Boschendal Brut of 1981 was made by the legendary Achim von Arnim. The quality of those early wines and the way their effervescent class elevated the Boschendal brand of premium wines, led to a focus on Cap Classique where we today have five different styles of bottle-fermented wines in our offering.”

Danielle Coetsee, Boschendal’s Cap Classique winemaker, says that being responsible for making the icon Jean le Long is a privilege as her mandate is to simply make one of the world’s great Cap Classique wines.

“My brief is to be unwavering in creating a Cap Classique that honours the legacy of Boschendal as well as one that can compare with any methode traditionelle wine in the world,” she says. 

“Jean le Long is thus produced exclusively from Chardonnay grapes from high-altitude Elgin sites capable of providing fruit from which a base-wine of riveting acidity and layered complexity is made. The parcels of base-wine go through various selection processes before bottled for secondary fermentation, spending a minimum of 60 months on the lees before disgorging. Another year on cork in the bottle allows further evolution both in terms of texture and flavour.”

Van Wyk says that wine competitions remain an important indicator of quality to producers and consumers alike.

“The escalation of interest in wine education over the past decade has seen this becoming a global industry in itself,” says Van Wyk. “This has led to wine competitions having access to many more certified and well-educated judges than in the past, with the result being that judging standards are at an all-time high. For Boschendal it is thus vital to enter such competitions to see how our wines match-up to those from the rest of the world when judged by professionals who have exceptionally high standards in terms of wine selection. 

“Competitions also continue to offer consumers the best guide to their wine purchases – especially in this era of social media where the awareness of award-winning wines is communicated at the press of a button. A wine can literally go from un-known to world-famous in seconds, and this is the platform wine competitions continue to provide.”