Benguela Cove Wines Celebrates National Recognition at the 2023 SA Terroir Awards
Benguela Cove Catalina Semillon 2020 Wins Top Honours
Our Catalina Semillon 2020 has been awarded South Africa’s best in class at the 2023 Terroir Awards. This highlights the quality of our terroir.
Additionally, our Noble Late Harvest also won the SA Terroir Awards. This year, both our wines were recognized, showing our consistent quality.
An Overview of the Novare South African Terroir Awards
The Terroir Awards recognize the unique origins of South African wines. They focus on wines representing South Africa’s diverse "terroir", highlighting the Cape Winelands wine regions. Only wines certified as single-vineyard wines, estate-produced, or wine from a ward or district not divided into more than one ward, can participate. A panel of experts, familiar with wines from various districts, undertakes the judging.
Estate owner Penny Streeter says:
"This is a remarkable achievement that highlights the pedigree and consistent quality of the wine. Our last three vintages of Catalina - 2018, 2019, and 2020 - have all been National Winners. The 2019 vintage was also the highest-scoring single vineyard wine on show."
Benguela Cove only produces Noble Late Harvest in those rare years when conditions during the ripening season maximise the occurrence of botrytis cinerea (or Noble rot). 2020 and 2015 were when the stars aligned and the estate could make this special style of wine, says the winemaker Johann Fourie:
“The Terroir Awards recognise only single-origin wines, and this holds special relevance for Benguela Cove as a 100 per cent estate-grown wine producer. We centre our winemaking philosophy on crafting site-specific wines that showcase our terroir. These awards highlight the best examples and provide an opportunity to benchmark ourselves against other producers with a similar approach.”
Previous National Winners of the Terroir Awards for Benguela Cove were:
Catalina Semillon 2018 (2020)
Cap Classique 2017 (2021)
Estate Malbec 2019 (2021)
Catalina 2019 (2022) Also Trophy: highest scoring single vineyard wine
Catalina 2020 (2023)
Noble Late Harvest 2020 (2023)
Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate
Benguela Cove, located in the scenic Walker Bay wine region of Hermanus, South Africa, recently won the Cellar Door Experience of the Year in the Tim Atkin, MW, 2022 South Africa Wine Special Report. It is also in the Top 100 World’s Best Vineyards 2023.
Owned by the Streeter family since 2013, the estate is situated on a lagoon, separated by a narrow sandbar from the Atlantic Ocean, making it ideal for cultivating a variety of grape cultivars to produce cool climate wines.
Under the guidance of Johann Fourie and his team, Benguela Cove produces 350,000 bottles per year, featuring diverse wine styles such as the Lighthouse Collection, Estate Range, Vinography, and Catalina collections.
Fourie prioritises site-specific wines that showcase Benguela Cove's unique terroir and the wine style it delivers. The diversity of slopes and soils and exposure to prevailing winds bring out the best in each varietal, while the estate's special location on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean produces a distinctive character.
The estate uses only grapes from its own vineyard, which are processed in its 400-ton winery, featuring crystal chandeliers, advanced technology, and a blend of traditional and modern fermentation vessels.
For more information about Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate and its award-winning wines, please visit www.benguelacove.co.za
