Three Golds for Durbanville Hills

The cellar also received eight Silver awards for its 2008 Durbanville Hills Shiraz, 2007 and 2008 Durbanville Hills Pinotage, 2010 Durbanville Hills Sauvignon Blanc, 2008 Rhinofields Merlot, 2009 Rhinofields Outer Valley Sauvignon Blanc, 2008 Rhinofields Shiraz and the 2008 Biesjes Craal Sauvignon Blanc.

The cellarmaster, Martin Moore, said that these awards recognised the cellar's ability to produce exceptional wines across a spectrum of varietals.

Reds following whites

"With our red wines in recent years increasingly following in the steps of our award-winning Sauvignon Blancs and now more than ever share the winners' platform with them; we have decided to extend our current range by introducing two new wines.

"I believe the new Merlot Rosé extends the consumers' taste experience as it brings a different flavour component to what is currently available on the market.

"Merlot grapes, when ripe, display fruity and mulberry flavours that offer a glimpse of the berry fruit you find in the wine."

A further dimension

The new 2009 Rhinofields Pinotage brings a further dimension to the cellar's limited-release range of wines and continues in the tradition of the 2006 and 2007 Durbanville Hills Pinotage, which received Gold medals at Michelangelo in 2009.

"We wanted to create an outstanding Pinotage that would complement our existing Rhinofields range. Our cool-climate location in the Tygerberg, overlooking Table Bay, provides the ideal growing conditions for this uniquely South African cultivar. The Pinot Noir characteristics of the wine are typical of cooler-climate Pinotage, marking the wine as of exceptional quality," Moore said.

The 2010 Durbanville Hills Merlot Rosé (Gold), the 2009 Rhinofields Pinotage (Gold) and the 2008 Rhinofields Shiraz (Silver) are currently only available from the cellar, whilst the 2009 Biesjes Craal Sauvignon Blanc (Gold) is available from liquor outlets for around R107 per 750ml bottle.