The Christian Eedes Top Ten Cabernet Sauvignon wines for 2012

Christian Eedes presented his 2012 Top 10 Cabernet Sauvignon awards this afternoon at French Toast wine & tapas bar in Bree St. The wines were judged blind by Christian with Roland Peens of The Wine Cellar and James Pietersen, sommelier and beverage manager at Belthazar and Balducci's, from 60 wines selected as finalists. He said, "The line-up was blind tasted according to the 20-point/ 5 Stars system. After the first round of judging, 14 wines were considered to have particular distinction and these went through to a second round where the panel could give them more detailed examination - out of this emerged the top 10,”

The Christian Eedes Top Ten Cabernet Sauvignon wines for 2012 are:
Five stars
      1. Delaire Reserve 2009
      2. De Trafford 2009
      3. Graham Beck The Coffeestone 2009
      4. Tokara 2009
Four and a half stars
      5. Cederberg Five Generations 2009
      6. Rickety Bridge Paulina’s Reserve 2009
      7. Stark-Condé 2009
      8. Stark-Condé Three Pines 2009
Four stars
      9. Kleine Zalze Family Reserve 2007
     10. Louis 2008
 We were welcomed with a glass of Villiera's Brut Natural chardonnay MCC

and excellent canapés from French Toast, generous helpings of which were in there for us all through the event.
Louis Nel, enjoying a glass of Villiera

Christian Eedes with Corlien Morris of Wine Concepts

Christian and Alwyn van der Merwe, Sanlam investments director. Sanlam sponsored the event 

Winemakers and media enjoyed the food and the wine 

John Harrison, owner of French Toast, with Christian Eedes 

Alwyn van der Merwe addresses the audience 

John Loubser, GM of Graham Beck, Corlien Morris and Hennie Coetzee

Awarding certificates: Louis Nel 

Wynand Grobler of Rickety Bridge

José Conde of Stark-Condé received two awards 

Morné Vrey of Delaire Graff 

David Trafford, for De Trafford Cabernet sauvignon

John Loubser, accepting the award for Graham Beck Coffeestone Cabernet

Dumisani Mathonsi accepts the award for Tokara 

The wines were presented in soft plastic "marbles" which helped to keep them at the right temperature

Wynand Grobler and Jeanri-Tine van Zyl

Jacqui Kildare and John Loubser, Graham Beck

and, after a good wine tasting,nothing refreshes more than a cold beer - Jonathan Steyn, Christian Eedes and André Morgenthal 

For further information, or to download the full report, visit www.sanlamprivateinvestments.co.za or www.whatidranklastnight.co.za.

These photographs are ©John Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2012