Double Gold and a Quartet of Gold for De Grendel
There’s some more shine in our trophy cabinet as a year of accolades continues for De Grendel with the 2017 Amandelboord Pinotage bringing home Double Gold, along with Gold medals for a quartet of our premium wines, at the 2019 Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards announced on Friday (4 October).
A relatively new addition to De Grendel’s flagship range, the Amandelboord Pinotage is already proving cellar master Charles Hopkins’ prediction that “this will be one to write home about”.
“This is an exciting accolade, particularly as it comes from subjecting our expression of South Africa’s unique Pinotage cultivar to a panel of internationally-experienced palates. Recognition like this shows that our wines can stand their ground on a global stage with world-class quality,” Hopkins said.
The Double Gold puts the wine in the top 10% of the more than 2 000 entries into this year’s Michelangelo Awards, South Africa’s biggest wine competition, and means it achieved at least 93 points in blind tasting by the panel of international judges from 22 countries.
A quartet of Golds is aptly led by our flagship Rubaiyat 2015, a blend of four Bordeaux varietals that is named for Omar Khayyam’s Persian love poems, written in quatrain (four-line) format and which were a favourite of the late Sir David Graaff.
“We are delighted that the 2015 Rubaiyat has received yet more honour in this, its best year ever, reflecting the outstanding 2015 vintage for South African wine that has produced this widely-loved rich, luscious and elegant blend,” Hopkins said.
Joining Rubaiyat on the podium, Op die Berg Chardonnay 2018, Sauvignon Blanc 2019 and the 2017 Shiraz were also awarded Gold, putting them in the top 30% of all entries.
De Grendel is having a phenomenal year for international recognition of our wines, with these Michelangelo Awards joining an outstanding 97 points and gold medal for the 2017 Shiraz at the International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC) in London; 90+ scores for four of our wines – including the 2019 Sauvignon Blanc, 2018 Op die Berg Chardonnay and 2015 Rubaiyat – in the Tim Atkin SA Special Report in September; and Gold for the 2015 Rubaiyat from the international jury in the Mundus Vini awards in March.