Prescient Signature Red Blend Report 2024: Top 10

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 43 entries from 33 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

Zevenwacht The Tin Mine 2021
Price: R165
Wine of Origin: Stellenbosch
Abv: 13.7%

94

Alto Estate Blend 2022
Price: R450
Wine of Origin: Stellenbosch
Abv: 14.5%

94

Jakkalsvlei Mount Cuveè Cape Blend 2022
Price: R200
Wine of Origin: Western Cape
Abv: 13.82%

94

Rust en Vrede Estate 2020
Price: R630
Wine of Origin: Stellenbosch
Abv: 14.35%

93

Boschendal Nicolas 2022
Price: R220
Wine of Origin: Stellenbosch
Abv: 14%

93

Flagstone Dragon Tree Cape Blend 2021
Price: R176
Wine of Origin: Cape Coast
Abv: 14.5%

93

Guardian Peak SMG 2021
Price: R220
Wine of Origin: Western Cape
Abv: 14.19%

93

Thor Vintners The Fubar NV
Price: R180
Wine of Origin: Western Cape
Abv: 14.61%

93

Waterleliefontein Syrah Grenache Noir Blend 2021
Price: R260
Wine of Origin: Walker Bay
Abv: 14.23%

92

JAN 2021 (Zevenwacht)
Price: R185
Wine of Origin: Stellenbosch
Abv: 14%

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 25 wines to rate 90-plus is R238 a bottle and of the Top 10 is R269.

Best buy

Offering the best quality relative to price is Spier Signature Collection Red 2023 with a rating of 91 and selling for R99 a bottle.

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz.  Primary aromatics of red berries and fynbos while the palate is medium bodied with fresh acidity and powdery tannins – most appealing.

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 Blend Report 2024