IN the most closely contested race since the inaugural event in 2002, Spier edged ahead of Thelema Mountain Vineyards to take the Fairbairn Capital Trophy for the Top Producer at the 2011 Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show. Adding the show’s most prestigious trophy to an exceptional season of international awards, Spier’s Frans Smit can now include the laurels of the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show to his medals from the Decanter World Wine Awards and the Concours Mondiales.
While Thelema had exactly the same trophy, gold and silver medal count as Spier in its five highest scoring wines, it had a lower medal-to-entry ratio over its total number of submissions. In the end this proved to be the tie-breaker for the narrowest margin in the show’s history.
Local trophy winners were Nederburg and KWV.
The Old Mutual Trophy for Best Dessert Wine went to the Nederburg Private Bin Eminence Noble Late Harvest Muscadel 2008.
A Nederburg wine has earned one of the top scores on the 2011 Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show, with the 2008 Nederburg Eminence coming in at 96 points to take the trophy for the best unfortified dessert wine.
The trophy for Best Pinotage was won by Rijk’s Pinotage 2007.
The Riedel Trophy for Best Bordeaux-style Blend went to KWV The Mentors Orchestra 2009 and the American Express Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon (Museum Class) went to Cathedral Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon 1995 while the trophy for the Best Fortified Dessert Wine (Museum Class) went to KWV White Jerepigo 1933.
KWV thus secured three of the 17 trophies. Says Richard Rowe, Chief Winemaker of KWV: “We are delighted with the trophy for the 2009 Orchestra. The sum of these awards is a credit to Johann Fourie and the wine-making team who have put in a great deal of effort to lift the quality of our wines across the board, and finesse the styles, which is essential in the pursuit of excellence in the arena of wine competitions.”
The KWV White Jerepigo, a wine produced in 1933, and which won the Trophy for the Best Fortified Dessert Wine – Museum Class, made history when it became the oldest wine to ever win a trophy at the show.
The 2011 Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show saw an increase in entries over the 2010 event, and a markedly higher number of silver and bronze medals awarded – a clear indication of the ever-increasing number of high quality wines available on the local market. The Gold medal count was down however – mainly, it would seem, because the judges have responded to the general improvement in wine quality by raising the bar even higher for these much sought-after accolades.
Only twenty five gold medals were awarded (compared with 32 in 2010) and of these, five were from Museum Class entries (compared with seven in 2010). One of the golds went to the Chamonix Reserve Chardonnay 2009.
The Riesling category continued to show the enhanced quality and interest first revealed last year, with the Just Riesling Trophy being awarded to Jordan Estate for its Riesling 2009.
For the first time there was also a Museum Class Riesling Trophy awarded – the laureate being Hartenberg for its Weisser Riesling 1999.
A new award,for the wine which was the very best wine at the trophy judging went to the Paul Cluver Chardonnay 2009.
