The 43rd edition of Platter’s by Diners Club Wine Guide has announced its 2023 list of 196 wines in 28 categories that were awarded 5 stars this year. A total of 8000 wines by 900 producers was evaluated this year.

Red and White Blends as well as Chenin Blanc are the biggest 5 star classes, with 28, 27 and 28 individual labels, respectively. The Chardonnay, Shiraz/Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon wine categories also performed well, with 22, 16, and 12 brands, respectively.

The Top Performing Winery of the Year goes to the winery that achieves the most five-star ratings after the annual final tasting round, it being Mullineux this year, with 8 five-star wines. It is the Swartland-based Wine Estate’s fifth time as Platter’s highest achiever, having also been best-performing winery in 2014, 2016, 2019 and 2020.

The Editor’s Award Winery of the Year recognises a winegrowing individual or team who, based on performance in the current edition as well as their track record, are ambassadors par excellence for South African wine. This year the award goes to Cape Winemakers Guild member Duncan Savage and his Cape Town boutique winery Savage Wines, achieving five such rankings this year, ‘proving Duncan’s consistency as a trailblazer and undoubtedly one of the Cape’s foremost winemakers’. 

The Newcomer Winery of the Year is awarded to the producer who debuts in Platter’s this year and achieves the highest scores. The recipient is Trade Winds Wine, owned by friends and long-time serious wine aficionados Martin Voigt and Richard Wells, with a five-star Cabernet Sauvignon blended by Colin Frith, an honorary Cape Wine Master and one of the most experienced men-about-the-winelands.

‘Wines receiving the sought-after five-star rating in Platter’s undergo a rigorous process of sighted and blind assessment (i.e. with and without sight of the label) by a team of experienced experts. Bottlings that are judged to be “Superlative, a South African classic” are given the highest ranking of five stars, equal to 95 points or better on the 100-point rating scale’, Platter’s explains.

Platter’s writes that reflected in the five-star line-up this year are many of the key trends shaping South African wine today: ‘the revival and reinterpretation of traditional varieties such as Cinsault and Semillon, and adoption of heat-tolerant varieties like Grenache Noir; red wines with lighter textures and lower alcohol; clay and concrete vessels as alternatives to oak for ferment and/or ageing; and ‘deconstruction’, where different sites and even clones of the same grape variety are bottled separately. Another relatively recent development mirrored in the ratings is the release of minuscule special bottlings of an experimental nature, sometimes literally one barrel, intended to explore a particular grape variety, site and/or winegrowing technique, or sometimes simply express the winemakers’ personality or vision’ says Philip van Zyl, managing director and editor of Platter’s.

‘It’s always a pleasure to see new names make their debut in the guide at the highest levels of quality, and established ones achieve their first Platter’s five-star rating. South Africa continues to impress wine-lovers and -collectors around the world with its outstanding quality, along with diversity, character and interest. The fact that many pinnacle wines in our guide are tagged as good value is a massive plus for consumers in challenging economic times. We are delighted and very proud of our line-up and would like to take the opportunity to congratulate all the producers on their stellar achievement’.

The winning wine in each of the categories are as follows:

Cabernet Franc
Mulderbosch Single Vineyard 2019

Cabernet Sauvignon
Le Riche Reserve 2019

Cinsault
Rall 2021

Grenache Noir
Kruger Old Vines 2020

Merlot
Longridge Misterie 2017

Petit Verdot
Benguela Cove Vinography 2020

Pinotage
Kanonkop Black Label 2020

Pinot Noir
Cap Maritime 2021

Shiraz/Syrah
Patatsfontein Sons of Sugarland Syrah 2021

Red Blends, Cape Bordeaux
Fleur du Cap Laszlo 2019

Red Blends, with Pinotage
Beyerskloof Faith 2018

Red Blends, Shiraz/Syrah-based
Sadie Columella 2020

Red Blends, Other
Leeu Passant Dry Red 2019

Chardonnay
Hamilton Russell 2021

Chenin blanc
Mullineux CWG Trifecta 2020

Hárslevelü
Lemberg 202

Sauvignon Blanc
Bartho Eksteen Houtskool 2021

Semillon
Thorne & Daughters Paper Kite 2021

White Blends, Cape Bordeaux
Benguela Cove Vinography Semillon-Sauvignon
Blanc 2021

White Blends, Other
Sadie ‘T Voetpad 2021

Cap Classique
Anthonij Rupert L’Ormarins Private Cuvée 2014

Dessert Wine, Fortified
De Krans Muscat Blanc 2022

Natural Sweet
Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2018

Noble Late Harvest
Paul Clüver Riesling 2021

Vin de Paille
Mullineux Olerasay Straw Wine NV

Port-style
Boplaas Cape Vintage Reserve 2020

 

The five-star Platter’s wines for 2023 are:

Cabernet Franc
Botanica Big Flower 2020
David Finlayson Camino Africana 2020
Mulderbosch Single Vineyard 2019
Warwick 2019

Cabernet Sauvignon
Bartinney Skyfall 2017
Benguela Cove Vinography 2019
Erika Obermeyer Erika O 2019
Kanonkop 2018
Le Riche Reserve 2019
Miles Mossop Maximilian CWG 2019
Nederburg Manor House 2019
Restless River Main Road & Dignity 2019
Reyneke Biodynamic Reserve 2019
Rickety Bridge The Bridge 2020
Stark-Condé Oude Nektar 2019
Trade Winds 2019

Cinsault
Kleine Zalze Project Z 2021
Leeu Passant Basson 2020
Rall 2021
Rickety Bridge Paulina’s Reserve Old Vine 2021

Grenache Noir
AA Badenhorst Raaigras 2021
David & Nadia 2021
Kruger Old Vines 2020
Mischa Reserve 2021
Momento 2020

Merlot
Longridge Misterie 2017
Petit Verdot
Benguela Cove Vinography 2021

Pinotage
Beeslaar 2020
De Grendel Amandelboord 2020
Diemersdal Prospect 2020
Francois van Niekerk 2020
illimis 2021
Kaapzicht Steytler 2020
Kanonkop Black Label 2020
Survivor Reserve 2020

Pinot Noir
Bosman Hermanus 2021
Cap Maritime 2021
Creation The Art of Pinot Noir 2021
Crystallum Bona Fide 2021
Crystallum Cuvée Cinéma 2021
Crystallum Mabalel 2021
Kara-Tara Reserve 2020
Oak Valley South Ridge PN667 2020
Storm Vrede 2021

Shiraz/Syrah
Boschkloof Epilogue 2020
De Grendel Elim Shiraz 2020
De Grendel Op die Berg Syrah 2021
Harry Hartman Somesay 2021
Hartenberg The Stork 2019
Keermont Topside Syrah 2017
Mullineux Jakkalsfontein Granite Syrah 2020
Mullineux Iron Kasteelsig Syrah 2020
Mullineux Schist Roundstone Syrah 2020
Mullineux Syrah 2020
Patatsfontein Sons of Sugarland Syrah 2021
Rall Ava Syrah 2021
Savage CWG Syrah 2020
Savage Girl Next Door 2021
Savage Red 2020
Wolf & Woman Syrah 2021

Red Blends, Cape Bordeaux
Allée Bleue L’Amour Toujours 2017
Alto MPHS 2016
Darling Cellars Sir Charles Darling 2019
Fleur du Cap Laszlo 2019
Glenelly Lady May 2018
Hartenberg The Mackenzie 2017
Jordan Cobblers Hill 2018
Jordan Sophia 2017
Keet First Verse 2019
Marianne Desirade 2019
Overgaauw Tria Corda 2019
Stellenrust Timeless 2019
Stony Brook The Max 2019
Thelema Rabelais 2020
Van Biljon Cinq 2018
Vondeling Philosophie 2017
Woolworths Cobblers Hill 2018

Red Blends, with Pinotage
Beyerskloof Faith 2018
Red Blends, Shiraz/Syrah-based
ArtiSons JJ Handmade Eight Pillars 2019
Ellerman House The Ellerman 2020
Sadie Columella 2020

Red Blends, Other
Blackwater Sophie Cabernet Franc-Cinsaut 2021
De Trafford Elevation 393 2016
Fairview Homtini 2019
Leeu Passant Dry Red 2019
Leopard’s Leap Pardus 2020
Marianne Floréal 2019
Van Wyk Rebecca May 2021

Chardonnay
Bartinney Hourglass 2020
Capensis Fijnbosch 2018
Creation Glenn’s Chardonnay 2021
David Finlayson Shale Terraces 2021
Delaire Graff Terraced Block 2021
Draaiboek Onskuld 2021
GlenWood Grand Duc 2020
GlenWood Vigneron’s Selection 2021
Hamilton Russell 2021
Jordan Nine Yards 2021
Leeu Passant Stellenbosch 2020
Longridge Organic Clos du Ciel 2018
Newton Johnson CWG Sandford 2020
Oak Valley South Ridge CY95 2020
Oak Valley Groenlandberg 2021
Oldenburg 2021
Richard Kershaw Elgin 2020
Richard Kershaw Kogelberg Sandstone CY76 2020
Richard Kershaw Lower Duivenhoks River 2020
Storm Ridge 2021
Tokara Reserve 2021
Warwick The White Lady 2021

Chenin Blanc
Alheit Cartology 2021
Alheit Fire by Night 2021
Bellingham The Bernard Series 2021
Bosman Family Optenhorst 2021
Botanica Mary Delany Collection 2021
Catherine Marshall Fermented in Clay 2021
Cederberg Five Generations 2021
David & Nadia 2021
David & Nadia Plat’bos 2021
David & Nadia Skaliekop 2021
DeMorgenzon Reserve 2021
Eenzaamheid 2020
JC Wickens Swerwer 2021
Kaapzicht Kliprug 2021
Leeuwenkuil White 2020
Metzer & Holfeld Montane 2021
Mullineux CWG Trifecta 2020
Mullineux Granite Eikelaan 2021
Old Road Wine Company Stone Trail 2020
Raats CWG The Fountain 2021
Rall Ava 2021
Sadie Mev. Kirsten 2021
Sakkie Mouton Revenge Of The Crayfish 2021
Savage Never Been Asked To Dance 2021
Scions of Sinai Granietsteen 2021
Stark-Condé Monk Stone 2021
Stellenrust Old Bushvine 2021
Wade Bales Breedekloof 2021

Hárslevelü
Lemberg 2021

Sauvignon Blanc
Anthonij Rupert Altima 2022
Bartho Eksteen CWG Vloekskoot 2021
Bartho Eksteen Houtskool 2021
Cederberg David Nieuwoudt Ghost Corner Wild Ferment 2021
Diemersdal The Journal 2021
Diemersdal Wild Horseshoe 2021
Marianne 2021
Steenberg The Black Swan 2021
Thorne & Daughters Snakes & Ladders 2021
Trizanne Sondagskloof White 2021
Vergelegen SV Schaapenberg 2020

Semillon
Anthonij Rupert Laing Groendruif 2021
Black Elephant Vintners The Dark Side Of The Vine 2019
Boekenhoutskloof 2020
De Kleine Wijn Koöp Debutant White 2021
De Kleine Wijn Koöp Road to Santiago 2021
Gabriëlskloof Magdalena 2021
Rickety Bridge The Pilgrimage 2020
The Vineyard Party I’m Your Huckleberry 2019
Thorne & Daughters Paper Kite 2021

White Blends, Cape Bordeaux
Benguela Cove Vinography Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc 2021
Delaire Graff White Reserve 2020
Morgenster White Reserve 2021
Savage White 2021
Wade Bales Constantia Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon 2021

White Blends, Other
Alheit Hemelrand Vine Garden 2021
Beaumont New Baby 2021
Bellingham Freda 2021
Creation Viognier-Roussanne 2021
David & Nadia Aristargos 2021
Keermont Terrasse 2021
Mullineux Old Vines White 2021
Rall White 2021
Sadie Skerpioen 2021
Sadie Palladius 2020
Sadie ‘T Voetpad 2021
Stark-Condé The Field Blend 2021
Tempel Kattemaai Chenin Blanc-Semillon 2021
The Ahrens Family The WhiteBlack 2020
The Grapesmith Die Kluisenaar 2019
Vuurberg White 2021

Cap Classique
Anthonij Rupert L’Ormarins Blanc de Blancs 2017
Anthonij Rupert L’Ormarins Private Cuvée 2014
Colmant Absolu Zero Dosage NV
Saltare Brut Rosé NV
Silverthorn CWG Big Dog VIII 2017
Silverthorn Jewel Box 2017

Dessert Wine, Fortified
De Krans Muscat Blanc 2022

Natural Sweet
Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2018
Noble Late Harvest
Delheim Edelspatz 2020
Miles Mossop Kika 2021
Paul Clüver Riesling 2021

Vin de Paille
Fairview La Beryl Blanc 2022
Mullineux Olerasay Straw Wine NV
Zevenwacht Vine Dried Muscat Blanc 2019

Port-style
Boplaas Cape Vintage Reserve 2020
KWV Cape Tawny NV

Brandy
Boplaas Potstill Reserve 20 Years
KWV Centenary
KWV Nexus
KWV 20 Year Old
KWV 15 Year Old Alambic
KWV 12 Year Old Barrel Select
KWV 10 Year Old Vintage
Tokara XO Potstill
Van Ryn 20 Year Old Potstill
Van Ryn 15 Year Old Potstill
Van Ryn 12 Year Old Potstill

Husk Spirit
Dalla Cia 10 Year Old Celebration Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot

 

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