The 25th Concours Mondial de Bruxelles (CMB) was held from May 10 to 14, 2018 in Beijing, China. Over 9,180 wines from 48 producer countries competed for a distinction. Some 330 judges from 50+ countries blind-tasted and scored the wines. CMB is the only touring competition in the world and is the only wine contest to perform quality control tests on awarded wines.

A total of fourteen countries received Grand Gold medals with South Africa being awarded one of these prestigious medals.  

Waverley Hills, renowned for its eco-friendly practices and producing premium organic wines, has been awarded Grand Gold at this year’s CMB. Their maiden release Chardonnay 2016, which was launched in October 2017, has brought home this well-deserved accolade.

The wine spent 15 months in new 300-litre oak barrels of which 60% was French and the remainder, Hungarian. As part of the vinification, the wine spent eight months on its lees in the barrels before being racked and returned to the barrels for a further seven months.

“There’s white tropical fruit and lemon peel on the nose, along with dried banana and nutty oak,” says Johan Delport, Waverley Hills Winemaker. “An aromatic flinty character gives the wine extra complexity. It’s full and well-balanced on the palate, with lingering fruit in the finish; just beautiful!”

At the foot of the soaring Witzenberg Mountains, Waverley Hills is located on a natural watershed with variations in the landscape and diverse pockets of terroir. The Waverley Hills Chardonnay 2016 stays true to its terroir and boasts not only being a premium South African wine but also certified organic.  30.4% of organic and biodynamic CMB entries won a Silver, Gold or a Grand Gold Medal, compared to 24.6% in 2017.

A total of 57 silver, gold and grand gold medals were awarded to South African wines at the 2018 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles.