.: Tasting the wines of the 2018 Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show at the CTICC

Thursday, June 21, 2018

Tasting the wines of the 2018 Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show at the CTICC

Photographer Shawn Benjamin and Allan Mullins

There were all the Trophy wines to taste, then the Gold Medals, and the Silvers. But there is never enough time to taste that many wines. Where do you start? Well, after lots of hellos and hugs and congratulations, with the Trophy wines of course. The wines are laid out alphabetically around the room, so this entails a lot of dotting about. And we started with the 2011 Laborie Blanc de Blanc which won the Trophy for the best Méthode Cap Classique and has always been right at the top of our list of favourite Blancs de Blanc

Lynne having fun with Fundraising Manager Charmaine Gola on the Pebbles Project stand, tasting a Rosé MCC

This magnificent 2015 Constantia 1769 Noble Late Harvest from Buitenverwachting, made by Cellarmaster Brad Paton, deservedly won the Trophy for the best dessert wine. We overheard a taster say "Sheer Bliss"

Brad Paton

also won Gold for his 2012 Christine Bordeaux Blend, another excellent wine

Tielman Roos, Mooiplaas viticulturist was showing their NV Duel MCC and their rose-perfumed and complex Bordeaux blend Rosalind, where the savoury Cab Franc shines through; both these wines won Silver medals

Jeremy Borg, owner/winemaker at Painted Wolf Wines won a Silver for his Painted Wolf The Den Chenin Blanc

Great labels and Jeremy and his family are passionate about the preservation of our African wild dogs

Paul Wallace and his friend Chris Davidson

Paul won a Silver medal for his Reflection 2017 Chardonnay

Philip Engelen and Michael Pownall with an English friend

David Kretzmar, owner of Broad Valley and marketer Ross Sleet. The Broad Valley 2015 Pinot Noir won a Silver Medal

The DGB team, Premium Wine Account Executive Kris Snyman, Sommelier Germain Lehodey and Premium Brand Manager James Gower

DGB Sommelier Germain Lehodey and Regional Sommelier for Southern Sun, Georgio Meletio

The Boschendal Elgin 2017 Sauvignon Blanc was a Gold Medal Winner

And this will be our wine of the week this week, The Bernard Series Whole Bunch Roussanne. It had many people in the room talking about it

Cape Point Vineyards winemaker Riandrie Visser and some of her wines

Stuart Botha now at Tokara - he won a Trophy for his Eagles Nest 2014 Merlot, Tokara was awarded one for their Stellenbosch Reserve Chardonnay 2016 (made by Miles Mossop) with James Gower

Stanley Zimbizi showing Steenberg. They won a Silver for the Steenberg Lady R 2012 MCC

They also had their 2011 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve for tasting which won the museum class Trophy and showed how rewarding it can be to keep quality white wines for a few years. It was complex and delicious