10-Year-Old Wine Report 2025
By Christian Eedes, 25 February 2025
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Introduction
This year’s 10-Year-Old Wine Report convened by Winemag.co.za is now out. There were 98 entries from 47 producers and these were tasted blind (labels out of sight) by a three-person panel, scoring done according to the 100-point quality scale.
Top 12
The 12 best wines overall are as follows:
White
95
De Grendel Sauvignon Blanc 2015
Wine of Origin: Durbanville
Alc 13.67%
95
Highlands Road Sine Cera 2015
Wine of Origin: Elgin
Alc 14%
95
Tokara Director’s Reserve White 2015
Wine of Origin: Stellenbosch
Alc 14%
94
Flagstone Treaty Tree Reserve 2015
Wine of Origin: Elim
Alc 13.5%
Red
95
Jordan The Long Fuse Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Wine of Origin: Stellenbosch
Alc 14.5%
95
Tokara Director’s Reserve Red 2015
Wine of Origin: Stellenbosch
Alc 14.5%
94
Groot Constantia Gouverneurs Reserve 2015
Wine of Origin: Constantia
Alc 14.31%
94
Nederburg Auction Reserve Private Bin R163 Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Wine of Origin: Western Cape
Alc 14.69%
94
Neil Ellis Jonkershoek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Wine of Origin: Jonkershoek Valley
Alc 14.5%
94
Rust en Vrede Estate 2015
Wine of Origin: Stellenbosch
Alc 14.6%
Fortified
96 – Best Overall
De Krans Cape Vintage Reserve 2015
Wine of Origin: Calitzdorp
Alc 19.03%
Winemaking team receives a bottle of Barbeito Malvasia 40 Year Old Vinho do Reitor worth approximately R6,000, courtesy of Amorim Cork.
95
Boplaas Cape Vintage Reserve 2015
Wine of Origin: Western Cape
Alc 18.44%
About the Report
Just how well do modern-era South African wines perform as they get older? One of the most important measures of great wine is that it should be age-worthy, that is it should become more pleasurable and more interesting to drink with time in the bottle and the annual 10-Year-Old Wine Report sets out to examine precisely this.
In-depth analysis
To read the report in full, including key findings, tasting notes for the top wines and scores on the 100-point quality scale for all wines entered, download the following: 10-Year-Old Wine Report 2025
The benchmark
The Paul Sauer Bordeaux-style blend from Kanonkop is an important reference point for the 2015 vintage. Co-owner Johann Krige kindly supplied a bottle for comparison – read the report for a tasting note and score.
Several of the Top 12 wines are on sale as part of the Strauss & Co Vintage 2015 Auction which runs from 28 February to 10 March. For more information, click here.
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Sarah | 3 March 2025
The Strauss & Co 2015 Vintage auction is now live for you to place your bids – one of the most anticipated catalogues.
https://www.straussart.co.za/auctions/details/385-28-feb-2025
Wilhelm | 25 February 2025
Low scores for De Trafford (including Sijnn) across the board are very interesting.
Jamie Johnson | 25 February 2025
Interesting to see Tokara Director’s Reserve White at the top 5 years running – it’s one of the only wines we regularly buy from the larger producers and along with Savage White is often a standout White Bordeaux Blend for us 👌
Ashley Westaway | 25 February 2025
Thelema 2015 Shiraz
Hennie | 10 March 2025
I suspect the reason the panel does not rate the De Trafford because the wines are so big and powerful. I agree they age incredibly well, but the alcohols on these wines are off the charts, so elegance isn’t much on display.
Ashley Westaway | 25 February 2025
Not for the 1st time, the de Trafford reds have not been rated well in this competition. I regard the de Trafford Cab Sauv as one of the most age-worthy around. I’m also really enjoying the Thelema 2015 in the current drinking window. So, I find these particular ratings baffling. Needless to say, I will continue to buy and cellar de Trafford and Thelema.
Jos | 25 February 2025
Agree, I’ve some 2015’s from De Trafford, as well as earlier vintages, and they were all sublime. Might be bottle variation so I cannot speak for this tasting, but I do agree that they are very much age-worthy.
Jos | 25 February 2025
Were no Chenin’s submitted or am I blind?
Christian Eedes | 25 February 2025
You are not blind. Not a single Chenin Blanc submitted.
Jos | 25 February 2025
I don’t remember much from previous reports, but is that not surprising since well made Chenin’s can age better than many other white’s?
I recently bought a library case from Patatsfontein and they included a 2016 Chenin which still felt amazingly young despite the harsh vintage that 2016 was.