The splendid Taj Cape Town, in association with La Revue du VIN de France, Tonnellerie Claude Gillet, DORRANCE Wines, GQ South Africa and Tonnellerie Darnajou will host the 17th edition of the TAJ Classic Wine Trophy, from 2nd to 6th March 2015. An experienced panel of French judges, committed to upholding the highest standards in this unique celebration of South African wine, will seek to recognize, reward and promote elegance, balance, finesse, ageability and sense of place achieved by vignerons in South Africa.
The panel will comprise: Olivier POELS, editor and managing partner of La Revue du VIN de France and wine commentator for Europe 1 radio; Olivier POUSSIER, best sommelier in the world winner, wine consultant, writer and group sommelier of Lenôtre; Claude GILOIS, well-known French wine writer, consultant and wine blogger; Thierry GERMAIN proprietor of Domaine des Roches Neuves, Saumur; Christophe DURAND, Taj Classic Wine Trophy organizer and proprietor of DORRANCE Wines; Tatiana MARCETTEAU, sommelier at TAJ Cape Town; Stephane DUVERNES, proprietor of wine distributor Les Chais St Laurent, Paris ; Germain LEHODEY, sommelier of Mosaic restaurant; Alsace and Cape wine producer, Julien SCHAAL; Xavier DIDIER, former sommelier at Tantris, Munich; and Jerome FAURE, corporate sommelier Constance Hotels and Resorts, Mauritius.
Judges in panels of three, over three rounds, will blind-taste entrants in twenty-three categories to select a shortlist, which will be re-tasted blind by all judges in the Grand Finale. Only twenty of those wines will be awarded a coveted Bacchus Trophy. Bacchus Trophy winners will be listed in La Revue du VIN de France 2015 and promoted at Salon de La Revue du VIN de France in Paris in May 2015. In 2015 a Bacchus trophy will be awarded to the best museum class wine – for cellared wines that have aged elegantly. The prize for the most iconic entry for 2015 is a pair of new barriques sponsored by distinguished coopers Tonnellerie Claude Gillet and Tonnellerie Darnajou. Thereafter, a panel of South African judges will select six wines from the Bacchus Trophy winners that present the best overall value for readers of GQ South Africa and patrons of Taj Cape Town. The awarded wines will be showcased in GQ South Africa and served in Taj Cape Town over the month of June 2015.
Entries for this prestigious competition open on Monday 12th January 2015 and will close on Friday 27th February 2015. Judging takes place from 2nd to 5th of March 2015. Information and entry forms are available at www.classicwinetrophy.co.za and enquiries can be directed to Sabrina on [email protected] or (021) 683 7479 (office) or 083 415 7211 (cell).
Trophy winners, judges, media and distinguished guests will attend an exclusive dinner and awards ceremony held in the Taj Cape Town’s new five-star banqueting venue, The Reserve at Taj Cape Town, on Friday 6th March 2015. For the first time a limited number of tickets for this exclusive event will be made available for sale to the public. Tickets cost R650, include a three course dinner enjoyed with the award-winning wines and can be booked by emailing
[email protected] or by contacting Ghowa de Roos on 021 819 2000. Members of the public booking before Wednesday, 25th February 2015, will stand a chance to win a complimentary stay, inclusive of breakfast, in a luxury room for two persons on the evening of 6th March 2015.
