2024 Absa Top 10 Pinotage Winners

2024 Absa Top 10 Pinotage Winners. The 2024 Absa Top 10 Pinotage competition once again spotlighted the best of South African winemaking, underscoring the resilience, diversity, and excellence of our wine industry. The South African wine industry is a crown, and all the varietals we have in South Africa are its gems—Pinotage striving to be the shiniest of them all. Despite the challenges faced by the industry, wine competitions still see a remarkable number of entries, showcasing the depth and richness of our South African viticultural heritage.

With 112 entries from 65 distinguished brands, this year’s competition was a celebration of Pinotage, a cultivar that stands as a cornerstone of South African winemaking. The entries spanned 29 unique Wine of Origin areas, reflecting the profound variety that the wine regions have to offer. Leading the entries was the Stellenbosch region, contributing 57 wines, followed by Paarl with 21 wines. Other notable regions included Robertson, Swartland, and Breedekloof/Worcester, ensuring a broad representation of South Africa’s wine-growing skills.

The diversity of vintages entered into the competition added a layer of intrigue, with wines ranging from youthful one-year-olds to a venerable twelve-year-old entry. The array of 7 one-year-old wines, 49 two-year-old wines, and 37 three-year-old wines, among others, provided a fascinating tasting journey that highlights the unique characteristics and stories behind each bottle.

Beyers Truter, Chairman of the Pinotage Association, expressed his pride in this year’s competition, stating: “Although we see the 2023/24 production of not only Pinotage down, the quality of the wines presented this year is a testament to the resilience and skill of our winemakers. It’s something truly great to celebrate, and it reinforces the strength of South African Pinotage as a proudly local cultivar. We must continuously strive to market Pinotage with dedication. We achieved great successes with Pinotage thus far but now is the time for all to do introspection. Challenging times gives us a reason to open our eyes to the great potential ahead for the next 100 years.”

“We are thrilled to celebrate the exceptional talent demonstrated by the 2024 Absa Top 10 Pinotage Awards winners,” said Sanah Gumede, Managing Executive for Strategy and Customer Value Management for Absa Relationship Banking. “As the largest financier of agriculture in South Africa, we strive to be the primary partner for our clients and support them in their journey towards excellence. We remain inspired by the passion, innovation and dedication of our local winemakers who continue to set new standards in the industry. Congratulations to you all.”

The 2024 Absa Top 10 Pinotage Winners

The Top 10 Winners for the 2024 competition have been selected based on their outstanding quality and representation of the Pinotage varietal:

• Beeslaar Wines – Beeslaar Pinotage 2022 (WO: Stellenbosch), Abrie Beeslaar
• Beyerskloof Wines – Beyerskloof Winemakers Reserve Pinotage 2022 (WO: Stellenbosch), Anri Truter
• Diemersdal Wine Estate – Diemersdal Pinotage Reserve 2022 (WO: Durbanville) – Thys Louw, Juandre Bruwer
• Flagstone Winery – Flagstone Writer’s Block Pinotage 2021 (WO: Swartland) – Gerhard Swart
• Francois van Niekerk Wines – Francois van Niekerk Pinotage 2022 (WO: Coastal) – Francois van Niekerk
• Kanonkop Wine Estate – Kanonkop Pinotage 2018 (WO: Simonsberg – Stellenbosch) – Abrie Beeslaar
• Koelenhof Cellar – Stellenbosch 1679 Old Vine Pinotage 2022 (WO: Stellenbosch) – Nicholas Husselman, Handre Visagie
• Rijk’s Cellar – Rijk’s Private Cellar Pinotage 2020 (WO: Tulbagh) – Adriaan Jacobs
• Wellington Wines – La Cave Pinotage 2022 (WO: Wellington) – Daniel Slabber
• Windmeul Cellar – Windmeul The Legend Collection Pinotage 2022 (WO: Paarl) – Abraham van Heerden