WineHandpicked by IWSC

20 top South African red wines

From powerful Cabernet Sauvignon made in Stellenbosch to Pinotage from Paarl, discover the diversity South African red wines can offer with this award-winning selection from the IWSC

Words by IWSC Judges

stellenbosch vineyard
Handpicked by IWSC
The vines of Stellenbosch in autumn

Although South Africa’s wines are considered to be from the New World, winemaking has been taking place there since the 1600s. However, for much of the 20th Century there was little international attention paid to South African wine, and apartheid-related boycotts of wines made in the country were common. But alongside a post-apartheid boom in the 1990s came many new, artisan producers who are now making some of the country’s best bottles – and with them came an increase in plantings of red wine grape varieties, which now take up over 40 per cent of the country’s vineyard area.

Stellar Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage and more are now produced in the major vine-growing areas of Stellenbosch, Constantia and Paarl. In these areas and others spanning the Western half of the country, bright and vibrant New World fruits combine with Old World complexity. The Western Cape’s large array of flora helps to create singular wines with an often herbal, earthy character – especially seen in Pinotage, a signature grape for the country and an essential building block in so-called ‘Cape blend’ red wines.

Winemakers are experimenting with other black grapes, including Grenache, Mourvèdre and Cinsault, but the big hitting varieties make up the bulk of this year’s award-winning bottles from the IWSC. In an impressive year for South African reds, twelve Gold Medals were awarded to producers. Topping the list was Vilafonté’s Series C 2014 – ‘a wine of true elegance and class’ according to IWSC judges, a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec scoring an impressive 96 points.

vilafonte
Vilafonté's C Series 2014, a South African red wine that expresses 'true elegance and class'

Other wines nabbing top scores included Tesco Shiraz 2020, which judges said had the taste of ‘red and black cherries sprinkled with white pepper and a hint of black olive,’ and Old Road Wine Co’s 12 Mile Syrah 2018, which was praised for ‘savoury, herbal elements emerging on the palate.’

Pinotage made a splash this year too, with the peppery Fairview Barrel-Aged Pinotage 2020 and Kanu Wines Pinotage 2019 both picking up Silver Medals. Discover these brilliant bottles and even more superb South African red wines, all tasted blind by experts, in our selection of award-winners at this year’s IWSC.

20 of the best South African red wines from the IWSC

  1. Vilafonté, Series C 2014, Paarl. 96/100
  2. Origin Wine, Tesco Finest Shiraz 2020, Swartland. 96/100
  3. Old Road Wine Co, 12 Mile Syrah 2018, Coastal Region. 96/100
  4. Kleine Zalze, Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, Stellenbosch. 95/100
  5. Boschendal, Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Stellenbosch. 95/100
  6. Vergelegen Wines, G.V.B 2015, Stellenbosch. 95/100
  7. Distell limited, Nederburg Private Bin Two Centuries Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, Coastal Region. 95/100
  8. Bartinney, Skyfall Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Western Cape. 95/100
  9. Bouchard Finlayson, Galpin Peak Pinot Noir 2019, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. 95/100
  10. Fairview, Barrel-Aged Pinotage 2020, Paarl. 95/100
  11. Kanu Wines, Pinotage 2019, Western Cape. 95/100
  12. Glen Carlou, Syrah 2019, Simonsberg-Paarl. 95/100
  13. Beyerskloof, Diesel Pinotage 2015, Stellenbosch. 94/100
  14. Beau Constantia, Aidan 2017, Constantia. 94/100
  15. Spier, Creative Block 3 Shiraz-Mourvèdre-Viognier 2017, Coastal Region. 94/100
  16. Kanonkop Wine Estate, Black Label Pinotage 2011, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch. 94/100
  17. Babylonstoren, Nebukadnesar 2019, Simonsberg-Paarl. 94/100
  18. Peter Falke Wines, Signature Kanoa Exclusive Blend 2016, Stellenbosch. 94/100
  19. Saronsberg, Full Circle 2019, Tulbagh. 93/100
  20. Accolade Wines Europe, Flagstone Music Room Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, Western Cape. 93/100
grape harvest south africa

HOW DO WE JUDGE THESE WINES?

We run a tightly structured, rigorous wine tasting process. That means that each wine sample is pre-poured into numbered glasses and assessed blindly by the judges. Most importantly, our IWSC wine judges are experts in their field, who work across all sectors of the wine industry. For evidence, see our full list of judges.

HOW DO WE SCORE THESE WINES?

Only the best wines sampled receive a Gold or Silver award. For example, to win Gold, wines have to score between 95 and 100 points. Meanwhile, Silver wines range from 90 to 94 points. Click here to read more on our scoring system.

MORE FROM CLUB OENOLOGIQUE

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