The best Shiraz Wines in South Africa for 2017

A dozen remarkable Shiraz wines and three impressive Shiraz blends captured the limelight during the fifth annual Shiraz Challenge awards ceremony held on 31 May at the Rhebokskloof Wine Estate in Paarl. Fans of this noble cultivar can safely set their sights on these front-runners when next they find themselves facing the extensive range of wines on the shelf of any retail space.

According to SA Shiraz chairperson Edmund Terblanche, some 220 wines vied for inclusion in the top echelon – a steady climb of entries since the inception of the competition in 2013. “Initially we focused only on Shiraz, but soon after we invited winemakers to put forward their best blends as we see this competition as an encompassing celebration of Shiraz,” he says. “We’ve witnessed consistent growth in the blends category – not only for the Rhône style, but for all compositions where Shiraz remains the leading component.”

And 2017’s top Shiraz wines are:                                   

Cederberg Shiraz 2015

D’Aria The Soprano Shiraz 2015

Eagle’s Nest Shiraz 2014

Fairview Beacon Shiraz 2014

Fairview Swartland Shiraz 2014

Flagstone Dark Horse Shiraz 2013

KWV Cathedral Cellar Shiraz  2015

La Motte Pierneef Syrah Viognier 2015

Rustenberg Buzzard Kloof Syrah 2015

Saronsberg Shiraz 2015

Strandveld Syrah 2013

Wildekrans Barrel Select Reserve Shiraz 2015

Top 3 Shiraz blends:

Bellingham The Bernard Series SMV 2014

Rustenberg Stellenbosch RM Nicholson 2015

Saronsberg Full Circle 2015

Attendees of the award ceremony had the opportunity to taste the 25 Shiraz finalists and the top 10 Shiraz blends and the winners were served with lunch.

Front l to r: Madri Dreyer (D’Aria), Heino Freudenberg (Vinventions), Edmund Terblanche (Shiraz SA Chairperson), Johan Conradie (Vinventions/Berthomieu), Tamarin Turck-Nel (Cederberg).
Back l na r: Gerhard Swart (Flagstone), Conrad Vlok (Strandveld), Braam Gericke (Wildekrans), Anthony de Jager (Fairview), Frikkie van Zyl (Saronsberg), André Olckers (Wildekrans), Michael Langenhoven (La Motte), Stuart Botha (Eagle’s Nest), Randolph Christians (Rustenberg) Louwritz Louw (KWV), Mario Damon (Bellingham).

Top performing producers – the stats

Shiraz SA also honoured a handful of cellars for their consistently high achievements over the first five years of the competition, based on their number of winning wines and number of finalist wines during this time, namely Cederberg, KWV, Fairview, Eagles’ Nest and Saronsberg.

  • Only two producers, Cederberg Winery and KWV, have consistently staked their claim on the much-coveted list of top Shiraz wines with wins in every year of the competition.
  •  KWV is the only cellar to have won a duo of awards in three consecutive years: 2x Shiraz winners in 2014, 2x Shiraz blend winners in 2015 and 2x Shiraz winners in 2016.
  • To date Saronsberg and Fairview have each earned a whopping five trophies for their entries.
  • Eagles’ Nest produced a winner or finalist in every year since the start of the competition.