Durbanville Hills cellar master Martin Moore. Photo: Durbanville Hills website Durbanville Hills cellar master Martin Moore. Photo: Durbanville Hills website
JOHANNESBURG – South Africa's Durbanville Hills Blanc de Blancs vintage 2015 has been crowned the best bottle-fermented sparkling wine at the 2020 World Sparkling Wine Awards announced in London, its producers said on Monday.
The wine beat off fierce competition from eight countries around the globe, including France, New Zealand and Italy, triumphing over the 45 entries received.
The international panel of judges praised the locally produced Méthod Cap Classique wine as "pleasantly aromatic, with a good balance of fruit. The bubbles are fine here, which results in a more refined mouthfeel; the body is excellent, and there are complex hazelnut and toasted brioche notes with smooth soily elements".
Durbanville Hills' cellar master Martin Moore said the award was testimony to the high quality of South African wines.
"If one considers the fast number of sparkling wines made across the globe, this award is incredible recognition for the quality that South African wines bring to the world stage," Moore said.
"Our Blanc de Blanc is made from 100 percent Chardonnay grapes and made in the traditional champagne method of secondary fermentation in the bottle. As a varietal, Chardonnay thrives under the cool climate conditions of the Durbanville area and the variety of slopes and altitudes allows us to craft wines that are firmly rooted in the unique terroir found here.”
He said interest from consumers to add sparkling wines to Durbanville Hills's portfolio had sparked the creation a few years ago of the Blanc de Blancs (“white of whites”) - arguably the most elegant style for sparkling wine.