Signature Red Blend Report 2018
By Christian Eedes, 24 July 2018
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The third annual Signature Red Blend Report, featuring wines distinctive of their origninators, is now out.
68 entries were received from 54 producers for this year’s competition. These were tasted blind (labels out of sight) by the three-person panel, scoring done according to the 100-point quality scale.
Wines to rate 90 or higher were as follows:
93
Babylonstoren Babel 2017
Joostenberg Bakermat 2016
Olifantsberg Silhouette 2015
Org De Rac Die Waghuis Red Blend 2016
92
Donkiesbaai Rooiwijn 2017
Ernie Els Big Easy Red Blend 2016
Fairview Extraño 2015
Glenelly Estate Reserve 2012
Springfontein Limestone Rocks Whole Lotta Love Cape Red Blend 2015
Vrede en Lust Artisan Range Merlot Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Wildehurst Red 2014
91
Bellingham The Bernard Series Small Barrel S.M.V. 2015
Glenelly Estate Reserve 2013
Haskell II 2014
Luddite Saboteur Red 2016
Muratie Melck’s Shiraz Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
Opstal Carl Everson Cape Blend 2016
Leipzig Master Blend 2017
90
Boland One Formation Pinotage Shiraz Grenache 2016
DeMorgenzon Maestro Blue 2015
Domaine Grand Veneur Chateauneuf-du-Pape Le Miocene 2015
Fairview Homtini 2016
Lammershoek Terravinum Reserve Red 2016
Nederburg The Motorcycle Marvel 2016
Rust en Vrede 1694 Classification 2015
Rust en Vrede Estate 2015
Strandveld The Navigator 2015
Thorne & Daughters Wanderer’s Heart 2017
Under Oaks French Flair 2015
Villiera Down to Earth Touriga Nacional Shiraz 2016
Vondeling Monsonia 2015
To read the tasting report in full, download the following: Signature Red Blend Report 2018
To view a photo album of the celebration lunch, click here.
Christian Eedes | 30 July 2018
Hi Jonnie, While the two Rust en Vrede wines are far more ambitious than the Villiera, what the panel liked about the latter is how fruit-forward and accessible it is. Not one to cellar for very long but a good everyday quaffer, we would argue.
dave ingram | 6 August 2018
A good quaffer does not score 90 points….
Christian Eedes | 6 August 2018
Hi Dave, I’ve had a bottle subsequently and I would concede it was a bit lucky to get its score of 90 points. That said, at least it’s been brought to everyone’s attention…
jonnie | 27 July 2018
This caught my eye, as about a week earlier I poured this wine down the sink as undrinkable -‘Villiera Down to Earth Touriga Nacional Shiraz 2016’. But placing it in the same league at 90 points as Rust en Vrede Estate and 1694 is very hard to swallow. …Really????? Those wines are light years apart in terms of quality and detail.