Achieving a top international honour once is no mean feat – but replicating it just three years later deserves special mention and praise. Which is why South African hats should be doffed and big back slaps and rounds of applause go to the Vilafonté team after it was announced that they were the judged Outstanding Producer and red wine Producer of the year at the highly-regarded International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) awards in London in mid-November.
Owner and most enthusiastic imbongi for the three wines Vilafonté produces (Series C, Series M and Seriously Old Dirt), Mike Ratcliffe, is understandably delighted – especially since this was a repeat of what they did in 2021. This from a wine brand which has less than 25 vintages in the bottle, having been established in 1996 with its first wine bottled in 2003.
As reported in News24, the IWSC panel said: “Vilafonté are an authentic, dynamic producer with an admirable focus on sustainability, quality, and value. Their incredible results prove just how much of an outstanding producer they are.”
But in the IWSC results announced on November 12 was the news that gold medals were awarded to Constantia Glen 2 for its Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon blend which scored 96 points, along with fellow Constantia valley winery Klein Constantia for its fabled sweet wine, Vin de Constance which the IWSC judging panel rated 95 points. What allows these three producers to be conjoined in this blog is not merely the fact that they have achieved international success yet again, but rather the fact that they have one thing in common: focus.
All three are almost extreme in their insistence on quality being non-negotiable and they also maintain that an abbreviated range allows them to keep the spotlight on what they do best and what their respective patches of dirt or terroir provide.
Despite producers who bottle it bemoaning the fact that Semillon might not set the sales charts alight, when it is merged with Sauvignon Blanc it really does underscore the statement that blends should be more than simply the sum of its parts.
It’s what negociant Wade Bales realised when he posed the question: “When people think of the quintessential wine that best expresses Constantia what is it?” He then went on to get the winemakers in South Africa’s cradle of wine on board and collaborating on a wine which does precisely that – under Wade Bales’ own label! They set their egos aside and every year, get together to taste their own submissions and then blend a wine which showcases Constantia.
It’s a remarkable exercise because it’s different every year. It might comprise Buitenverwachting, Constantia Royale, High Constantia, Beau Constantia, Silvermist, Eagles Nest, Constantia Glen, Steenberg, Groot or Klein Constantia, but it’s always Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.
It’s the same for Vilafonté: Series C will always be led by either Cabernet Sauvignon or Franc, and Series M by Merlot or Malbec.
And the focus which is brought to bear on Vin de Constance is backed up by enough research and experimentation to fill a book! It’s always Muscat and the grapes are vine ripened and naturally sweet – but the picking teams know the vines intimately because they go through the vineyards day after day, not necessarily harvesting whole bunches but rather selecting individual berries. It’s not uncommon for vineyards to be picked over three, five, seven or even 10 times or more in the quest for berries at the right stage of ripeness for winemaker Matthew Day’s exacting standards…
South Africa has made remarkable vinous strides since 1994. Nowadays, it’s down to paying attention to small tweaks and retaining standards and focus in order to take on the world – and win.
Fiona McDonald
Captions:
Skillfully blended Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon comprise Constantia Glen 2, the 2022 vintage of which was awarded gold at the 2024 IWSC awards
Claiming its place as one of the world’s most renowned sweet wines, Klein Constantia’s Vin de Constance
2004 was only the second bottling of Vilafonté’s Cabernet-led Series C
