The ninth largest wine producing country in the world, South Africa is considered a new world wine country — weird considering it has a 350-year wine tradition. With an extremely diverse landscape, the country has several kinds of soils within its borders that produce a wide variety of wines. The country’s gourmet restaurants are sought out by locals and international travelers who expect a wine list as impressive as their food menu.
The top five grape varieties in South Africa are chenin blanc, cabernet sauvignon, colombard, shiraz and sauvignon blanc.
Price-wise, South African wine is known for being competitive. But when it comes to high-end, memorable wines, the country is home to some of the most expensive wines in the world. Here are 8 of the most expensive wines from South Africa.
Source: Businesstech.co.za, WinesofSA
The MR de Compostella 2012 scored 96 points in Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate in 2014. Parker is a leading U.S. wine critic with an international influence. Raats is made by the winemaking Raats family of Stellenbosch. They’re earning an international reputation for their chenin blanc and cabernet franc. One of the most respected wine critics in the region, Neal Martin, calls the Raats “the most exciting and forward-thinking winemaker in Stellenbosch,” according to Raats.co.za.
Anthonij Rupert cabernet rranc won 92 points from Wine Spectator and is created under very specific conditions. The vineyards chosen to plant the grapes have to sit on a special type of soil, and the grapes are hand picked and hand sorted in a cellar before being fed into fermentors. The wine has notes of dark berries, spicy fruitcake and “some cedary cigar box highlights,” according to Rupertwines.com.
Ernie El Signature is a Bordeaux-style wine produced in Stellenbosch. The wine is mostly a cabernet sauvignon, and has notes of candied orange, cardamom, clove and dark olives, with a salted licorice finish. Wine Spectator gave the wine 92 points, and The Wine Advocate gave it 90 points, describing it as “a proprietary red with a big swing…but the ball lands on the green,” according to Wine.com.
Made in Constantia, Klein Constantia Vin de Constance natural sweet wine received a score of 95 points from The Wine Advocate and has been called the best vintage from the producer. They won the Gold Award in the International Wine Challenge 2008 and the 2007 Vintage Gold in the Decanter World Wine Awards. It is the most expensive wine from the historic wine growing region of Constantia, according to Wine-Searcher.com.
Bouchard Finlayson Tete de Cuvee Galpin Peak pinot noir matures for 15 months in French oak barrels and yields flavors of raspberry, cherry, flower and spice with “musky suggestions of truffle and earthiness.” It is perfect to drink with equally pricey dishes like truffle recipes, cheese and duck. The wine received 90 points from Robert Parker and the Gold Medal in the Five Nations Wine Challenge of 2012. The wine also won the South African Wine Index Platinum Award two years in a row, according to Rubenshotel.com.
The Sadie Family “Columella” Red is so sought after that it regularly shows up in international vintage wine auctions. The wine is the second most highly rated South African wine and received 96 points from The Wine Advocate. The Columella is also the most expensive wine from the Mourvedre-syrah grape variety in Swartland and has seen a steady price increase in the last three years, according to Wine-Searcher.com.
The Saxenburg Select Shiraz is another often-auctioned wine and it’s offered by sellers around the world, including throughout Eastern Europe. The wine earned a 5 out of 5 score from Platter’s South African Wine Guide and two Gold Awards from the Decanter World Wine Awards. It pairs well with beef Wellington and Malay lamb korma, according to Wine-Searcher.com.
The Vergelegen V Red has a taste profile that includes black currants, red cherries and cigars and goes well with dark meat. The wine has been considered the most expensive from South Africa and has something of a cult-like following according to Wineanorak.com. The wine earned a score of 5 out of 5 from the John Platter Wine Guide — otherwise known as the South African Wine Bible.
