Muskadel SA Awards 2024 top performers

By , 5 July 2024

Results of the 19th Muskadel SA Awards, sponsored by Vinochem, were announced recently and the organisers let me review the four platinum and eight gold award winners. Key finding: Generally excellent quality relative to price.

For the uninitiated, Muscat de Frontignan is the name by which Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, the finest of many Muscat varieties, is known in South Africa. It is a white grape variety but a red mutation also occurs. The epithet of Muscadel applies to fortified wine – grape juice that has been fortified with grape spirit. Hanepoot (or Muscat d’Alexandrie) is another principal Muscat variety.

Tasting notes and ratings as follows (all pack sizes 750ml unless stated otherwise):

95

Thelema Gargantua N/V
Price: R1 500 per 500ml bottle
Grapes from a vineyard planted in 1986. A combination of the 2001, 2003 and 2004 vintages – aged for 18 to 21 years before bottling. Dried peach and apricot, raisin, caramel, nuts and rancio on the nose. Deep, rich and flavourful on the palate. Moves well thanks to tangy acidity, the finish intensely savoury.

93

Constantia Uitsig Gravitas 2020
Not yet released.
Matured for 25 months in neutral oak. Lemon, apricot, potpourri and mushroom on the nose while the palate shows pure, concentrated fruit and bright acidity before a dry finish. Nicely thick textured.

93

Du Toitskloof Red Muscadel 2020
Price: R95 per 500ml bottle
Raspbery, cranberry, strawberry, rose petal, fynbos, a touch of honey and spice on the nose. The palate is well balanced – light bodied and fresh with a nicely savoury finish.

93

Nuy Barbieri Idro Rooi Muskadel 2016
Price: R235 per 500ml bottle
Matured for five years in barrel. Dried apricot, orange, caramel, toffee and spice on the nose. The palate is round and balanced with pure fruit and moderate acidity, the finish savoury. Offers great drinking right now.

93

Mont Blois Estate Muskadel Pomphuis 2017
Price: R250 per 500ml bottle
Burnt orange, dried apricot, mint, caramel, a touch of nuttiness and spice on the nose. Rich and viscous but still balanced. Pure and fresh with a savoury finish.

92

AA Badenhorst Family Wines – The Saldanha Wine and Spirits Co. Hanepoot 2014
Not yet released.
Peach, soft citrus, potpourri, some nuttiness and spice on the nose. Good fruit definition, slightly greasy texture and moderate acidity – soft, open and delicious!

92

Klawer White Muscadel 2020
Price: R99
Complex aromatics of orange, raisin, a touch of nuttiness, honey and spice on the nose. The palate shows good depth of fruit and bright acidity – layered with flavour, the finish savoury.

92

Le Grand Chasseur Habata White Muscadel 2020
Price: R95 per 500ml bottle
Citrus, saltana, a hint of potpourri, some waxy character and spice on the nose while the palate is sweet, rich and round but equally not without freshness, the finish long and gently savoury. Clean fruit, the spirit addition well handled.

91

Aan de Doorns Muscadel Sweet Red 2021
Price: R99
Macerated strawberry, raisin, a hint of wax and spice on the nose. The palate is rich and smooth textured – good fruit definition, bright acidity lending balance.

91

Badsberg Hanepoot Jerepigo 2023
Price: R96
The nose shows flowers, herbs, a lovely ripe grape quality and a hint of citrus. Good balance between fruit, acidity, sugar and alcohol. Should only gain further complexity with time in bottle.

91

Montagu White Muscadel 2024
Price: R95
Hugely aromatic with notes of rose petal, pear, peach, herbs and white pepper. Beautifully pure and fresh. Overtly sweet but also full of verve, this is just about irresistible!

91

Mont Blois Estate Muskadel Harpie 2016
Price: R450 per 500ml bottle
Caramel, burnt orange, apricot and a slight waxy note. Deep, rich and thick textured – tangy acidity and a savoury finish. Thick textured, forceful and slightly lacking in nuance.

90

Klawer Cellars Red Muscadel 2021
Price: R99
Rose petal, raisin, orange and spice on the nose. Clean and harmonious on the palate, this is made in an appealing, accessible style. Holds up well once opened.

89

Clairvaux Family Wines Red Muscadel 2023
Price: R85
Floral aromatics, sultana and a hint of spice on the nose. The palate is light, fresh and doesn’t come across as overly sweet – an easy style.

89

Du Toitskloof Hanepoot Jerepigo 2021
Price: R95 per 500ml bottle
Ripe grape, orange, a slight waxy quality and spice on the nose. The palate is very rich, greasy and overtly sweet. Clean but somewhat straightforward.

89

Orange River Cellars White Muscadel 2023
Price: R99.52
Closed under screwcap, the nose shows some reduction but also lemon, orange and spice. The palate is rich with tangy acidity – full of interest but seems to lack a little purity.

Check out our South African wine ratings database.

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