Kloovenburg, the renowned wine estate outside the town of Riebeek-Kasteel in South Africa’s Swartland wine region took pride of place in this year’s Hallo Merlot Top 10 Competition as the highest scoring wine in the third-time running of this event aiming to annually discover South Africa’s ten best Merlot wines. Besides the honour of its Merlot 2021 headlining the Top 10, Kloovenburg also won a new oak barrel, courtesy of French cooperage Taransaud who this year is once again the headline sponsor of the Hallo Merlot Top 10.
The Swartland region might have taken the spotlight with the top-scoring wine, but the Stellenbosch appellation dominated the rest of the Hallo Merlot Top 10 with eight Stellenbosch Merlots on this year’s honours-roll. Stellenbosch’s Nilberg Estate saw two of its wines on the Top 10, namely the Merlot 2017 and Merlot Reserve 2018, while Bein Private Cellar claimed a top spot for the third consecutive year, this time with Bein Little Merlot 2021. Other Stellenbosch producers on the top 10 are: Delaire Graff (Banghoek Reserve Merlot 2021) Dornier (Merlot 2020), Glenelly (Glass Collection Merlot 2020), Quoin Rock (Merlot 2021) and Zorgvliet (Merlot 2021).
Anthonij Rupert Wines from Franschhoek completes the Top 10 with its Anthonij Rupert Merlot 2018.
Dawie Botha, chairman of the Merlot Forum and winemaker at Anthonij Rupert Wines, said the results of the third Top 10 Merlot Competition again underscored the overall commitment to quality by South African winemakers crafting Merlot, as well as the regional terroir-expression found in the producing of these wines.
“As the top-selling single varietal red wine in South Africa, the missing link in the country’s Merlot offerings has been the lack of a competition to assess the state of the wines made from this variety as well as to recognise the top producers,” says Botha.
“This third Hallo Merlot Top 10 has done just that with 63 wines entered from all major Cape wine regions, showing diversity of terroir harnessed by a collective commitment to making excellent wines from this esteemed Bordeaux variety. With local wine drinkers buying more Merlot than any other single red variety, this competition aims to create an awareness of the high standard of winemaking and the specific regional identities found in the country’s Merlot offering. The popularity of Merlot is the result of wine lovers experiencing quality when they are enjoying this wine, and the competition also wishes to celebrate this fact.”
Botha made special mention of Taransaud who once again added extra incentive to the Hallo Merlot Top 10 by presenting a new French oak barrique to the top-scoring wine.
“The judicious use of quality barrels is a vital part of any producer wising to make a quality Merlot wine, and Taransaud has for years been an integral part of offering Cape winemakers the best wood vessels to allow us to make top-class Merlot,” he said. “Taransaud is thus not only an important partner to the Hallo Merlot Top 10 but a vital link between us winemakers and our aim of showing the diverse quality of South African Merlot wines.” This year’s judges were Matthew Copeland (convenor) from Vondeling Wines, Jenna Higgins (Windmeul-kelder), sommelier LeRoi Van de Vyver, wine consultant and judge Samarie Smith-Meletiou, Morné Vrey from Delaire Graff and Shane Mumba, sommelier and drinks ambassador.