In its fourth edition, the Mosaic Top 5 Pinot Noir Wine Awards, an exciting South African wine competition exclusively focused on Pinot Noir red wines, proudly announces the winners of its 2023 awards.
All the wines were judged blindly (pre-poured and then presented to the judges) and scored on a 100-point system. The final score for each wine was recorded after a panel discussion, rather than a simple mathematical average.
The competition took place on August 8th in Cape Town and featured 45 entries from 30 producers, encompassing wines from the 2017 to 2022 vintages. Most entries hailed from the Hemel-en-Aarde area in Walker Bay (19), followed by Elgin (9), Franschhoek (7), and the remainder from Stellenbosch, South Coast, Ceres, and Durbanville.
The judging panel for this year's competition was:
Dr. Winnie Bowman, CWM, Cape Wine Master and renowned international wine judge.
Fiona McDonald, Editor of Cheers Magazine and renowned international wine judge.
Gregory Mutambe, Head sommelier at the Twelve Apostles Hotel.
André van Rensburg, Winemaker at André van Rensburg Wines.
Anton Swarts, CWM, Cape Wine Master and senior winemaker at Spier.
The five best Pinot Noir wines in South Africa (in alphabetical order) are:
» Creation Wines Emily's Pinot Noir 2022
» David Finlayson Wines Camino Africana Pinot Noir 2022
» Driehoek Wines Pinot Noir 2020
» La Vierge Wines Apogée Pinot Noir 2020
» Lothian Of Elgin Pinot Noir 2020
Wines that score 90 or more points, but do not make it into the top five, are celebrated with a 90+ award. The 90+ South African Pinot Noir red wines (in alphabetical order) are:
» Benguela Cove Estate Pinot Noir 2022
» Botanica Wines Mary Delany Collection Pinot Noir 2022
» Bottega Family Wine Misty Lake Pinot Noir 2019
» Chamonix Wine Estate Reserve Pinot Noir 2022
» David Finlayson Wines Pinot Noir 2022
» De Grendel Wines Op die Berg Pinot Noir 2021
» Die Kat se Snor Pinot Noir 2020
» Domaine Des Dieux Josephine Pinot Noir 2017
» Driehoek Wines Mieke Pinot Noir 2021
» Elgin Vintners Ponthuis Pinot Noir 2021
» Flagstone Wines Fiona Pinot Noir 2021
» Hasher Family Estate Ernest Pinot Noir 2022
» Highlands Road Pinot Noir 2021
» Highlands Road Pinot Noir 2020
» Richard Kershaw Wines The Smuggler's Boot Pinot Noir 2021
» Richard Kershaw Wines GPS Walker Bay Pinot Noir 2020
» Richard Kershaw Wines Clonal Selection Elgin Pinot Noir 2021
» Leopard's Leap Family Vineyards Culinaria Pinot Noir 2021
» Lothian Of Elgin Pinot Noir 2021
» Oak Valley Estate Sounds of Silence Pinot Noir 2022
» Oak Valley Estate Groenlandberg Pinot Noir 2022
» Terra Loci Walker Bay Pinot Noir 2022
Congratulations to the top five winners as well as all the wines achieving 90+ status and thank you to all of the producers for crafting Pinot Noir red wines of such high quality. Top Five Trust remains grateful to specialist financial services firm Mosaic Family Office for its ongoing support of South African Pinot Noir.
Click HERE to download the Mosaic Top 5 Pinot Noir Wine Awards 2023 Tasting Report.
The Mosaic Top 5 Pinot Noir Wine Awards is proudly supported by Mosaic Family Office, the celebrated specialist financial services provider.
Visit the Pinot Noir Producer page or email info@pinotnoir.co.za for more information and subscribe to the Pinot Noir Producer mailing list to receive competition announcements.
Not for sale to persons under the age of 18. Enjoy Responsibly.