Platter Five Star Wines for 2016 Announced Find out all the 5-star SA wines! The Platter Wine Guide Five Star selections for 2016 were announced tonight at an awards function at The Mount Nelson. 87 wines and spirits got the nod this year, up again on the previous year by almost 50%. A new system was used this year whereby tasters didn’t specifically nominate 5 Star wines, instead anything rated as 4.5 stars went into an intensive 2 day blind tasting session to find the top wines. This was meant to give more wines a fair crack of the whip and negate any preconceptions the sighted taster may have had about the wine and with a few new names appearing, it seems that this has succeeded.Wines and Winery of the Year were awarded to:White of Year = Warwick Wines The White Lady Chardonnay 2014Red of Year = Mullineux & Leeu Iron Syrah 2013Dessert Wine of Year = Mullineux & Leeu Olerasay Straw WineWinery of Year = Mullineux & Leeu Family WinesTop performing categories were red and white blends – something not wholly-unexpected – followed by an extremely strong showing of Chardonnays with a fair amount of crossover between the Platter awards and the Prescient Chardonnay Report organised by WineMag and released yesterday.

Brandy Five star gongs were significantly down on last year but that is probably to be expected as new brandies aren’t released every year and many previously-awarded spirits are still selling.I have to say I’m a little surprised at the number of unusual varieties gaining Five Stars, some from varieties perhaps not always considered top-notch around the world. Of course, with only very few people making these wines, it must have been almost impossible NOT to know which you were tasting which isn’t an ideal situation. best wine in cold storageI also cannot help wondering whether these wines have been rewarded merely because they are different, or because they really are amongst the best wines in the country – I hope the latter and look forward to tasting them at the event.best wine to help sleepCongrats to multiple-award winners Delaire Graff,  AA Badenhorst Family Wines, Spier, Newton Johnson, Haskell, Constantia Uitsig, David & Nadia Sadie, Cederberg, Boplaas, Nederburg and, of course Mullineux & Leeu for another outstanding performance with some seriously stellar wines. wine there is truth

On a personal note, I am delighted to see Mvemve Raats in there again, as well as Ken Forrester’s Old Vine Reserve Chenin Blanc – it’s great to see wines under R100 succeeding at this level. Well done everyone and can’t wait to taste the wines!The 2016 Platter 5-star wines are: Cape Chamonix Wine Farm Cabernet Franc 2013Delaire Graff Estate Laurence Graff Reserve 2012Guardian Peak Wines Lapa Cabernet Sauvignon 2013Kleine Zalze Wines Vineyard Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2012AA Badenhorst Family Wines Ramnasgras Cinsaut 2014David & Nadia Sadie Grenache Noir 2014Beeslaar Wines Pinotage 2013Rijk's Reserve Pinotage 2011Spier 21 Gables Pinotage 2013Windmeul Cellar Reserve Pinotage 2014Bouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak Pinot Noir 2013Newton Johnson VineyardsFamily Vineyards Pinot Noir 2014Bellingham Bernard Series Basket Press Syrah 2013Eagles' Nest Shiraz 2012Leeuwenkuil Family VineyardsHeritage Syrah 2013Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines Iron Syrah 2013Reyneke WinesSyrah 2013Richard Kershaw Wine Clonal Selections Elgin Syrah 2013AA Badenhorst Family WinesRed 2013Delaire Graff Estate Botmaskop 2013Ernie Els Wines CWG Auction Reserve 2013Fleur du Cap Laszlo 2012Haskell Vineyards Haskell IV 2010Kaapzicht Wine Estate Steytler Vision 2012Luddite Wines Saboteur 2012Meerlust Estate Rubicon 2010Miles Mossop Wines Max 2012Mulderbosch Vineyards Faithful Hound 2013Mvemve Raats MR de Compostella 2013Nico van der Merwe Wines Mas Nicolas Cape 2013Savage Wines CWG Auction Reserve Follow the Line 2013Spier

CWG Auction Reserve Frans K Smit 2011The Winery of Good Hope Radford Dale Black Rock 2013Vondeling Erica 2012Vuurberg Reserve 2012Buitenverwachting Chardonnay 2014Dorrance Wines Chardonnay Cuvée Anaïs 2014GlenWood Grand Duc Chardonnay 2013Graham Beck Wines Lonehill Chardonnay 2014Haskell Vineyards Anvil Chardonnay 2014MVH Signature Wines Chardonnay 2014Newton Johnson Vineyards Family Vineyards Chardonnay 2014Paul Cluver Estate Wines Seven Flags Chardonnay 2014Sterhuis Chardonnay Barrel Selection 2013Sumaridge Wines Chardonnay 2013Warwick Estate The White Lady Chardonnay 2014Botanica Wines Mary Delany Chenin Blanc 2014David & Nadia Sadie Hoë-Steen Chenin Blanc 2014Eenzaamheid Chenin Blanc 2013Kaapzicht Wine EstateThe 1947 Chenin Blanc 2014Keermont VineyardsRiverside Chenin Blanc 2014Ken Forrester Wines Old Vine Reserve Chenin Blanc 2014Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines Granite Chenin Blanc 2014Bellingham Bernard Series Whole Bunch Roussanne 2015Cederberg Private Cellar David Nieuwoudt Ghost Corner Sauvignon Blanc 2014Nederburg Wines The Young Airhawk 2014Neil Ellis Wines Groenekloof Sauvignon Blanc 2015Spier 21 Gables Sauvignon Blanc 2014Constantia Uitsig Semillon 2014Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines CWG Auction Reserve The Gris Semillon 2014The Foundry Viognier 2014Bloemendal Estate Kanonberg 2014Cape

Point Vineyards CWG Auction Reserve White 2014Constantia Glen Two 2014Constantia Uitsig Natura Vista 2014David & Nadia Sadie Aristargos 2014Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines White Blend 2014Newton Johnson Vineyards Resonance 2014Nitida Cellars Coronata Integration 2014Oak Valley Wines Mountain Reserve White Blend 2011Sadie Family Wines ‘T Voetpad 2014Spier  Creative Block 2 2014Waterkloof  Circle of Life White 2013Anura Vineyards Méthode Cap Classique Brut 2011Cederberg Private Cellar Blanc de Blancs Brut 2010Miles Mossop Wines Kika Noble Late Harvest 2014Nederburg Wines Winemaster's Reserve Noble Late Harvest 2014Klein Constantia Estate Vin de Constance 2011Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines Olerasay Straw Wine NVLa Couronne Wines Muscadel NVBoplaas Family Vineyards  Heritage Reserve White Muscadel 2012Boplaas Family Vineyards Cape Vintage Reserve 2012De Krans Cape Vintage Reserve 2013Dalla Cia Wine & Spirit Company 10 Year Old Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot Husk SpiritKWV  10 Year Old VintageKWV NexusVan Ryn 15 Year Fine Cask Reserve