Meet The Spier Wines On South Africa’s Ultimate Wine List
The Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2015 and Creative Block 2 2016 have both been selected for the 2017 Sommeliers Selection Wine List. Established in 2014, this prestigious wine competition is the first to be judged solely by the country’s top sommeliers.
Wines are judged blind and assessed not in the context of grape variety, but rather by price point and wine style (such as “Voluptuous / Rich” for reds and “Fresh / Crunchy”). In this way, the sommeliers are judging the entries as they would consider wines when designing a wine list. The winning wines are awarded listings on this exclusive 'wine list' and the title of Sommelier Selection Listed Wine.
The judges of this year's competition included Pearl Oliver of the Taj Hotel Cape Town, Billet Magara of the Oyster Box Hotel and La Colombe’s Joseph Dafana.
Two winning whites
The widely heralded Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2015 has already been featured in the Standard Bank Top 10 Chenin Blanc Challenge 2016 and won Double Gold at the Top 100 SA Wines 2017, Silver at the Veritas Awards 2016 and earned four stars in the 2016 Platter’s Wine Guide.
The wine’s grapes were handpicked from 43-year-old dryland vines on the cool slopes of the Tygerberg. Maturation in French oak barrels took 14 months. With gentle dried apricots and ripe tropical fruit and an oak and vanilla undertow on the nose, the palate offers good acidity and rounded rich flavours of white flesh peaches and almond paste. Enjoy the wine with with crisp pork belly, honeyed duck breast or Cape-style pickled fish.
The Spier Creative Block 2 2016 is no stranger to acclaim either, winning Double Gold at the 2017 Top 100 SA Wines, Silver at the 2016 Veritas Awards 2016 and four stars in the 2016 Platter’s Wine Guide.
Crafted with grapes handpicked from Darling, Stellenbosch Helderberg and Tygerberg, the wine brings together roughly 85% Sauvignon Blanc with Semillon. It matured for six months on the lees before bottling.
On the nose, you’ll find ripe kiwi, white peach and intense grassiness. The full-palate offers green winter melon and green asparagus. Enjoy it with free-range chicken and seasoned goat’s cheese or battered fish nuggets with anchovy mayonnaise.
You can purchase these wines directly from our online webstore at www.store.spierwines.co.za.