A wooded Cabernet Sauvignon from Wellington Wines secures the General Smuts Trophy as the top SA Champion Wine of 2023, also claiming the title of the country’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon at the SA Young Wine Show. Wellington Wines previously captured the General Smuts Trophy in 2018 with a wooded Pinotage, achieving a remarkable feat this year by also earning the Pietman Hugo Trophy.
This annual show for wines of the current vintage year is presented by the SA National Wine Show Association (SANWSA) in collaboration with Agri-Expo. On 25 August 2023, the competition unveiled its impressive array of trophies during a prestigious dinner held in Paarl, hosted by the Paarl Young Wine Show. A total of 44 wines achieved Class Winner status, and 79 received Gold Medals. Despite the challenges posed by rainy weather in the latter stages of the harvest, the judges were particularly impressed by the quality of the 2023 wines.
In terms of overall results, Wellington Wines achieved an additional significant milestone by securing four Champion Red Wine titles in addition to the General Smuts and Pietman Hugo Trophies. Van Loveren Family Vineyards stands as the sole cellar to win two champion wines.
Paarl emerged as the leading wine region with seven National Trophies, followed by Robertson with four, Klein Karoo and Stellenbosch with two each, and Breedekloof and Orange River with one each. Two of Wellington Wines’ winemakers, recipients of the General Smuts and Pietman Hugo Trophies, are set to enjoy a sponsored six-day overseas trip.
The trip includes visits to a renowned fermentation company and filtration plant in Germany, along with several local wine cellars.