KWV’s Classic Collection Tawny was awarded a Gold and Regional Trophy at the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) in London this week – the latest in a string of awards KWV has accumulated from DWWA in the past three years.

This year KWV collected a total of 20 Decanter awards across its various wine portfolios, and includes 14 awards for its flagship brand KWV The Mentors, which claimed Gold for KWV The Mentors Petit Verdot 2012 and KWV The Mentors Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon 2013. 

Last year KWV celebrated the amazing feat of winning the International Trophy for KWV The Mentors Noble Late Harvest 2012, with 2013 equally rewarding with three SA Trophies awarded to this Paarl-based producer for wines in the under 15£ category.   

The DWWA is widely considered the world’s largest and most influential wine competition, and sees over 200 international wine experts, including 66 Masters of Wine and 18 Master Sommeliers, congregate to judge wines from all over the world. 

KWV delivering what consumers want

The KWV Classic Collection Tawny was made by Anneke Du Plessis, who has been with KWV for eight years. Says Du Plessis: “This is a true flagship of KWV, where we want to show our aged fortified treasures to the public. Fundamentally this wine must show concentration, complexity and noticeable fruit flavors, preserved over a period of 30 years.”

In order to qualify for a Regional Trophy, wines have to be of outstanding quality, scoring a minimum of 95 on the 100-point scale, or a Gold medal, before being resubmitted to be tasted by members of the region’s panel – this year chaired by  Lynne Sherriff MW. The panel members only award a Regional Trophy to the best wine in a particular category if the wine’s quality merits such an award. 

Says Chief Winemaker, Johann Fourie: “Winning regional trophies across various categories at Decanter for three consecutive years is a definitive reflection of the consistency of styles and focus across a broad range of our wines. KWV is now delivering, year after year, levels of finesse, elegance and concentration that consumers in South Africa, and internationally, want.”

Gold-winning wines reflect KWV The Mentors philosophy

Established in 2006 to showcase excellence of selected vineyards, KWV The Mentors is a shining example of the stylistic evolution that has been taking place across the KWV portfolio. This brand has steadily been gaining a reputation as one of South Africa’s most reputable – and arguably most awarded – wine brands.

A stringent selection process, which sees only the finest, hand crafted wines bottled under the KWV The Mentors label, has resulted in a collection that is highly regarded among wine judges and wine lovers globally. 

According to Fourie, the two gold-winning wines are textbook examples of the philosophy behind KWV The Mentors portfolio. The Petit Verdot is from an experimental batch, resulting in a unique wine only available in exceptional years. “In 2012 the conditions in the vineyard and cellar worked in perfect unison; this allowed us to bottle the moment and share it with people,” says Fourie. 

The Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon 2013 is the first Bordeaux-style white wine released under The Mentors label since 2009. Chief Viticulturist, Marco Ventrella, sourced the fruit from Groenekloof in Darling which has low-yielding clay soils. “There is a specific character you get from these vineyards,” he says “there is a lot of passion fruit, with some asparagus and green beans. It will age absolutely beautifully.” 

More recently this wine was also scored 90/100 on eRobertParker.com, the latest in a string of high ratings following Diamond at the Triton Express Winemakers Choice Awards and Gold at both the International Wine & Spirit Competition and Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards.

• KWV announced that it will release its new range of 2014 whites and 2013 reds in July.