Prescient Signature Red Blend Report 2022: Top 10
By Christian Eedes, 28 June 2022
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Introduction
This year’s Signature Red Blend Report convened by Winemag.co.za and sponsored by multinational financial services company Prescient is now out. There were 61 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 10
The 10 best wines overall are as follows:
95
Meinert Synchronicity 2017
Price: R436.54
Wine of Origin: Devon Valley
Abv: 14%
94
Coterie by Wildeberg Grenache & Syrah 2021
Price: R170
Wine of Origin: Coastal Region
Abv: 14%
92
Brampton Roxton Full-Blooded Red 2018
Price: R160
Wine of Origin: Cape Coast
Abv: 14%
93
Fairview Homtini 2018
Price: R150
Wine of Origin: Darling
Abv: 13.98%
93
Forager Red 2020
Price: R95
Wine of Origin: Western Cape
Abv: 14.3%
92
Beaumont Vitruvian 2017
Price: R450
Wine of Origin: Bot River, Walker Bay
Abv: 14.04%
92
Fairview Extraño 2019
Price: R130
Wine of Origin: Coastal Region
Abv: 13.91%
92
Nederburg Baronne 2020
Price: R85
Wine of Origin: Western Cape
Abv: 14.47%
About the category
Why should South Africa be bound by the Bordeaux model when it comes to creating great blended red wine? Perhaps the Rhône is a better reference point given local growing conditions while the so-called “Cape Blend” incorporating Pinotage potentially gives us a unique selling proposition. Then, of course, there are the red blends of yesteryear – Alto Rouge, Chateau Libertas and Rustenberg Dry Red to name but three – which conformed to no particular model but are revered for their complexity and longevity.
Once again, we called for wines which were “distinctive of their originators” and instead of the usual practice of dividing them into various sub-groups according to style (Pinotage-based vs Shiraz-based being the differentiation most usually made), we tasted them as one continuous line-up – the thinking being that the fundamentals of wine appreciation such as complexity and balance should apply when it came to making quality assessments.
What do top Signature Red Blends go for?
The average price of the 27 wines to rate 90-plus is R253 a bottle and of the Top 10 is R209.
Best buy
Offering the best quality relative to price is Charles Lang & Sons Cabernet Sauvignon Carignan Shiraz Ruby Cabernet 2020 with a rating of 90 and selling for R45 a bottle.
Attractive aromatics of red and black berries, some herbal character and spice while the palate is light bodied, fresh and accessible.
In-depth analysis
To read the report in full, including key findings, tasting notes for the top wines, buyers guide and scores on the 100-point quality scale for all wines entered, download the following: Prescient Signature Red Report 2022
Shop online
Johannesburg boutique wine retailer Dry Dock Liquor is offering a selection of the top performing wines for sale and can deliver nationwide – buy now.
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Uwe Böbs | 29 June 2022
R50 is WAY TOO EXPENSIVE !
Business Day, News24 …. that`s crazy ! Why not make it a R20 … a affordable amount and MANY MORE PEOPLE WILL SUBSCRIBE !
Wessel Strydom | 29 June 2022
Oh come on….
For what you receive i don’t think R50 is too expensive
Thomas | 29 June 2022
I agree with Wessel. What are you really going to do with that extra R30 a month Uwe? R50 is two coffees which I would gladly sacrifice for access to this site which I enjoy on a near daily basis. The contributors to this site (like Tim, Greg, Jamie, not to mention Christian) have spent a lifetime honing their craft. Their contribution to the site is of a seriously high calibre. They need to get paid too. In all of the circumstances, I feel like R50 is cheap at the price.
Stefan Johannes | 29 June 2022
Hi Christian,
Waterford’s Jem getting 86 is a huge disappointment I would say. Is there any specific reason? Perhaps a faulty bottle?
Christian Eedes | 29 June 2022
Hi Stefan, The panel was of the general opinion that the wine was unduly evolved which does suggest a compromised bottle. In retrospect, I wish we’d opened the second but when tasting blind, it’s possible to conclude that a particular wine is simply of no great distinction and move on.