Platter’s South African Wine Guide, has announced a record 41 five-star wines, defined as being ‘superlative, a Cape Classic’.

This follows a blind tasting by the assembled Platter’s tasting team of potential five-star wines for the 2010 edition, nominated by individual members during their sampling of South Africa’s wines over the past two months.

For the 2010 book, nearly 6 000 individual wines are featured.

In the course of this year’s evaluations, a record 105 candidate five-stars were identified, across a variety of categories, including reds and whites, dessert wines and port styles. Only bottled wines, available during the currency of the guide, were considered.

The book launch of the 2010 Guide will be in November. The guide’s Winery of the Year award will also be announced in November, along with the name of the ‘Superquaffer’ of the Year – the wine judged to be the most drinkable and well-priced of all the entry-level bottlings tasted for the current edition.

Analysing the results of the 2010 five-star wines, publisher Andrew McDowall said: ‘The best-performing categories this year were that of Sauvignon Blanc and Bordeaux-style Red Blends, with five wines in each. Four categories offered up four five-star wines each – Bordeaux-Style White Blends, White Blends, Shiraz and Unfortified Dessert Wines – while the Port-Style category has three five-stars. Of the white categories, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay yielded one and three five-stars respectively, while Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Red Blends offered two apiece, and Grenache and Pinotage one each.’

Two wines were voted Wine of the Year by the judges: Palladius 2008 from Sadie Family Wines, White Wine of the Year, and the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2005 from Le Riche Wines, the year’s top red.

A selection of the five-star wines will be shown to the European wine trade and consumers at the South African Mega Tasting in London during October.

The 2010 edition will be available from end November 2009 from selected book shops and retail outlets, as well as the website, www.platteronline.com. The recommended retail price is R149.95.

Source: winemag.co.za