IWSC Wine Judging in South Africa: Results
We are delighted to reveal the results of the IWSC’s Global Judging in South Africa for 2025. Judged by a world-class panel of experts, many with deep ties to the region, this year’s tasting highlighted the quality, character and confidence of South African winemaking.
Led by IWSC Wine Judging Committee member Victoria Mason MW, the panel featured prominent international voices such as David Kermode, Zara Cassidy, Matteo Montone MS, Robert Mathias MW, and Greg Sherwood MW, alongside South African industry authorities including Dr Winnie Bowman, Kenny Nassen, George Young, Lauren Segers-Jewell, and Dr Erna Blancquaert.
This year’s resultsSouth Africa’s wines impressed across the board, with 23 Gold, 225 Silver and 266 Bronze medals awarded. As always, IWSC medals are hard won, and these results reflect not only technical excellence but also a growing confidence in style and expression among South African producers.
Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay lead the waySouth Africa’s white wines delivered outstanding results, particularly across Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay. The tasting highlighted the stylistic range and increasing finesse in these categories, from zesty, unoaked styles to rich, complex examples worthy of cellar space. Among the top performers was the Delaire Graff Estate Banghoek Chardonnay 2023, which achieved an exceptional 97 points. Judges described it as showing enticing stone fruit, almond milk and flint on the nose, with a creamy texture on the palate and flavours of white peach, caramel and nuttiness, all culminating in a dense, mineral finish.
George Young remarked, “I think we are so spoilt with the quality of wines, especially our Chardonnays in South Africa.”
Also awarded Gold with 96 points was the Du Toitskloof Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2024, praised for its captivating aroma of zesty lime and white grapefruit, rich texture, and effortlessly long finish lifted by an invigorating energy.
Speaking on the Chenin Blanc winners, Dr Winnie Bowman added, “Chenin speaks of South African sunshine captured in those grapes. A calling card!”
Red wines of character and clarityThe red wine entries delivered one of the most impressive performances of the judging, with nine Gold medals awarded across a range of styles and regions. Judges praised both varietal examples and blends for their clarity of fruit, balanced oak integration and increasing regional definition.
Kanonkop’s Pinotage 2009 led the pack with 96 points, demonstrating the ageing potential of the variety with its perfumed violet and blackberry nose, layered with savoury game, dried herbs and fine mineral tannins. The estate’s Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 also scored 96 points, offering rich earthy black fruit and brooding blackberry aromas, followed by a palate of floral dark fruit and creamy texture, with a bright liquorice finish and remarkable energy.
Delaire Graff Estate’s Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2021 was another standout, earning 96 points for its expressive bouquet of foraged fruit, forest floor, graphite and tobacco, with ripe cassis and fine tannins leading to an oak-framed finish. Nederburg’s Private Bin Two Centuries Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 followed with 95 points, praised for its perfumed nose of violets and herbal potpourri, and a palate that blended ripe cassis and gravelly spice with a creamy texture and a eucalyptus-laced finish.
Lomond’s Conebush Syrah 2021 also impressed, with judges awarding 96 points for its aromatic bouquet of bramble, cracked pepper and pink peppercorn, followed by a savoury, meaty palate with rosemary and wild berry.
Among the high-scoring Silvers were Quoin Rock’s Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, with coastal aromatics and silky fruit depth, and Avontuur’s The Taberer 2022, which impressed with its polished structure and cigar box complexity. Shiraz entries like De Grendel 2021 and Spier Seaward 2023 continued the trend, offering ripe dark fruit, spice and textural finesse.
Judges noted that South African producers are increasingly finding the sweet spot between ripeness, structure and freshness. As Dr Erna Blancquaert reflected, “The synergy between vineyard and winemaking practices” was a defining trait among the top-scoring wines. “If a viticulturist and winemaker understand the terroir, the wines got a higher score as it is expressed in the glass.” Matteo Montone MS encouraged producers to “focus more on the vineyard, reduce the amount of oak in the wine and let the fruit talk” - advice that underpins many of this year’s most successful entries. Zara Cassidy summed up the standout wines as having “character, balance, class and finesse” - four pillars that defined a strong performance at this year's IWSC from South Africa’s winemakers.
Cap Classique confirms its credentialsSouth Africa’s traditional method sparkling wines continued to impress. Judges were particularly taken with the overall quality of the Cap Classique entries, noting increasing complexity and elegance across both blanc de blancs and blends. We'll be publushing a seperate results blog on our Cap Classique medal winners tomorrow.
Advice from the panelBeyond medal counts, this year’s judging also surfaced valuable reflections for producers. One of the clearest messages from the panel was the importance of balance, vineyard expression and restraint.
Lauren Segers-Jewell advised, “Spend more time focusing on the vineyards to get the best quality grapes you can. That, coupled with expert handling in the cellar, always shines through in these tastings because the balance is just there.”
Wine Buyer Robert Mathias MW echoed this, adding, “I would always advise to consider how to find elegance and intensity in the reds - oak and extraction is not always the answer; while for whites, a sense of tension and focus with aromatic detail is always exciting to taste.”
Explore the full list of winnersAll South African wines judged at this year’s IWSC South Africa Global Judging session, across Gold, Silver and Bronze, can be found on our website. With excellence across every category, these results reaffirm South Africa’s place on the world wine stage.
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