Stellenbosch wine estate, Quoin Rock, flew the nation’s flag high at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) in London, achieving gold and platinum status for their Vine Dried 2019 vintage and 2014 Black Series MCC.
The world’s largest and most influential international wine competition
Widely regarded as the world’s largest and most influential international wine competition, this year, the DWWA was made up of more than 160 judges, with 44 Masters of Wine and 11 Master Sommeliers. These top wine experts judged 18,094 wines from 56 countries, and Quoin Rock Wine Estate was one of only nine South African producers to receive the coveted Platinum medal.
Requiring a minimum of 97 points, Platinum wines are tasted a minimum of four times by expert judges, and this year, only 179 wines were bestowed with the prestigious medal, making up just 0.99% of the wines tasted.
According to DWWA Co-Chair Ronan Sayburn, MS ‘a wine has to have typicity… [when judging] we think about things like balance; it’s got to have great length and show characteristics of the grape variety… To go the extra mile, it’s things like the finesse, the elegance, the balance, the winemaking, that we look for.’
He added, ‘DWWA is the most prestigious wine awards, so as a producer if you want to be anywhere, you want to be at Decanter.’
Magnificent terroir
Winemaker, Schalk Opperman is incredibly proud to be listed among the top South African wine farms and believes that it is the magnificent terroir Quoin Rock calls home that helps him to create quality wine.
When asked about receiving a Platinum Medal for the Quoin Rock 2014 Black Series MCC, Opperman says it shows “we’re serious about our MCC, that it can compete with the best of Champagne.”
The Quoin Rock 2014 Black Series MCC is a classic Champagne-style blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. A rare-vintage release increasingly sought by connoisseurs, this bottle of bubbles is made from hand-picked grapes that have been whole-bunch pressed and stored in French oak barrels.
Schalk describes the Platinum award winner as showing prominent notes of green apple, honey-oats, biscuit, and lime aromas, supported by interesting mineral characters. The delicate mousse and tiny, persistent bubbles complement the crisp, refreshing acidity and creamy palate of this elegant Brut-style MCC.
Gold medal-winning
Quoin Rock’s gold-award-winning Vine Dried 2019 vintage is also an exceptional wine that received 95 points in the 2021 Decanter World Wine Awards. The sauvignon blanc is made from fruit that was hand-selected from vineyards across the Cape Winelands, which is what drives its outstanding quality.
Made from whole-bunch grapes that were cold-soaked for 12 hours, pressed-off to holding tanks, and left to settle for 2 days, this dry white wine was then left to mature in French oak barrels for 5 months. Opperman suggests serving this fruity white with foie gras, a fruit-based dessert, or cheese.
A history of success
It is not the first time that this Stellenbosch based wine farm has come up tops. Quoin Rock has been winning medals at the worldwide Decanter Awards for more than 6 years, and every wine entered in the elite global competition has achieved a score worthy of a medal.
“It is what motivates us to keep momentum and passion while we await the chance to open our doors to you again” Opperman gushes when asked about the estate’s most recent awards.
