Spier’s 21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2015 won the inaugural Veritas Vertex Award at this year’s Veritas Awards, defeating 1638 other entries to be crowned the competition’s overall champion wine. This adds to the winery’s remarkable achievement of taking home six Double Gold and nine Gold medals from the prestigious awards.
The Veritas Vertex Award takes its name from the Latin word “vertex” – meaning “highest point” – alluding to the pinnacle of achievement that the award represents. A specially-designed handmade glass trophy was presented to Spier cellar master Frans Smit and his team at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
Paying tribute to Spier’s winemaking heritage, the 21 Gables Chenin Blanc is a wine of outstanding pedigree. The 2015 vintage was recognised as one of South Africa’s best Chenin Blancs through its inclusion in the 2016 Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge, and recently scored 95 points in Tim Atkin’s Annual South African 2017 Special report.
Spier’s other Double Gold winners were the Ideology Chenin Blanc 2016, Signature Chenin Blanc 2017, Spier 21 Gables Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 and Creative Block 3 2012.
The fact that four of Spier’s six Double Golds were awarded to Chenin Blanc wines – varying both in price and style – illustrates that our decade-long emphasis on the varietal is bearing fruit. – Smit.
