Top Marks for De Krans Tritonia in Signature Blend Report

Following on from its success at the recent Old Mutual Trophy Awards, the 2016 De Krans Tritonia Calitzdorp Blend has once again received recognition from peers within the industry. This time round with an impressive 90 points in Christian Eedes’ fourth annual Signature Red Blend Report.

The aim of the report is to recognise winemakers who are willing to try something a little different from the rest, and as such wines ‘distinctive of their originators’, were included. Breaking from tradition in dividing the various wines into sub-groups according to style, the panel tasted the entries as one continuous line-up. A total of 58 entries from 42 producers were received for this year’s competition. The wines were tasted blind by a three-person panel, with the scoring done according to the 100-point quality scale.

The name Tritonia pays tribute to the beautiful Tritonia plant, with its colourful flowers, of which eight different species are found in the Klein Karoo, the most complex and species-rich arid area in the world. This red blend is made from a variety of Portuguese grapes, mainly Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz, with smaller quantities of Tinta Barocca and Tinta Amarela. This wine effortlessly walks the tightrope between being full-bodied and intense, yet still rich and elegant, with savoury, spice and dark fruit notes. It pairs beautifully with venison, ostrich meat dishes, roasted leg of lamb, or beef fillet.

With much attention gained for their consistent production of quality port-style wines and dessert wines, De Krans’ exceptional Portuguese red wines and surprisingly delightful classical range have at times been overshadowed. With South Africans being loyal and sturdy supporters of good old Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon (some will take the risk of a blend of the two), the elegance, structure and superb ability of the De Krans Tritonia to be paired with meat dishes (especially venison), are often left unexplored and in the SA context, arguably, a diamond in the rough.

The De Krans Tritonia Calitzdorp Blend is available directly from the farm or through select outlets nationwide, retailing for approximatelyR220 per bottle.