OD11 digital HR - Flipbook - Page 70
WINE
HONOURS
ROLL
Hamilton Russell Vineyards, in
its 50th-anniversary year, was
the recipient of the Editor’s Award
for Winery of the Year in Platter’s
2025 South African Wine Guide
for expanding beyond established
growing areas into cooler climates
while maintaining the highest
standards of quality. Congratulations
to Anthony Hamilton Russell (1979F)
and his team.
The tasters for the annual
publication were once again
impressed with OD wines – most
especially with those made by Chris
Alheit (1999O). His 2023 vintages of
Cartology, Huilkrans, Magnetic North,
Nautical Dawn and Hemelrand Vine
Garden were all awarded the coveted
5-star rating. Other 5-star wines were
James Downes’s (1990W) Shannon
Black 2020; Jeff Grier’s (1975S)
Villiera Monro; Sir De Villiers Graaff’s
(1988F) De Grendel Amandelboord
Pinotage 2023 and Rubaiyat 2020;
Chris Rawbone-Viljoen’s (2001F)
Oak Valley Tabula Rasa PN114 2021,
Tabula Rasa CY548 2021 and
Groenlandberg Chardonnay 2023;
Justin van Wyk’s (2003S) Constantia
Glen Five 2021, Constantia Glen Two
2022 (also named Wine of the Year
in the White Blends/Cape Bordeaux
category) and Van Wyk Rebecca
May 2022; Alex Starey’s (1997W)
Keermont Terrasse 2023 and
Fleurfontein 2023; David Trafford’s
(1981W) De Trafford Skin Macerated
Chenin Blanc 2023; John Loubser’s
(1985F) Silverthorn Jewel Box 2019;
and Anthony Hamilton Russell’s
Chardonnay 2023.
Award-winner Anthony Hamilton Russell (1979F, left) with Platter’s
associate editor Cathy van Zyl and MD and editor Philip van Zyl.
Tim Atkin MW – who tasted 2,259
South African wines in 2024! – was
similarly impressed with the superior
Chenins produced by Alheit Vineyards:
in his South Africa Special Report, he
gave Nautical Dawn 2023 a perfect
score of 100 points and the title
of Overall White Wine of the Year.
Other Alheit wines to score highly
were Huilkrans 2023 (98 points),
Fire by Night 2023 (97), Magnetic
North 2023 (97) and the white blend,
Cartology 2023 (96). Unsurprisingly,
Alheit Vineyards was also classified
as a First Growth producer, along
with Keermont; Alex Starey’s Single
Vineyard Series Topside Syrah 2019
scored 96 points, with Single Vineyard
Series Steepside Syrah 2019 and
Keermont Fleurfontein 2022
scoring 95 points each. The two
other 96-pointers in the group
were John Loubser’s Silverthorn
Jewel Box 2019 and Mike Ratcliffe’s
(1990W) Vilafonté Series C 2021.
Nine OD wines were awarded
95 points: Hamilton Russell
Vineyards Chardonnay 2023;
Constantia Glen Five 2021;
Shannon Vineyards Shannon
Black 2020 and Rock n Rolla
Pinot Noir 2022; Oak Valley Tabula
Rasa Pinot Noir PN114 2021; David
Trafford’s De Trafford Straw Wine
2021 and Sijnn Red 2021; and
Gary Jordan’s (1978G) Jordan
Sophia 2020 and Timepiece
OVP Cabernet Sauvignon 2022.
Interestingly, while it scored “only”
94 points, Jeff Grier’s Villiera Pithos
Cap Classique 2016 was Tim Atkin’s
“Sparkling Wine Discovery of the
Year”. Hamilton Russell Vineyards
and Shannon Vineyards were
classified as Second Growths
for 2024, while Constantia Glen,
Jordan, Sijnn, Silverthorn and
Vilafonté were Third Growths.
