Benguela Cove Triumphs at the 2023 Terroir Wine Awards

Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate is celebrating a double victory at the prestigious 2023 Terroir Wine Awards in South Africa. The estate has been named the National Winner in two wine classes, Semillon and Noble Late Harvest, for its Benguela Cove Catalina Semillon 2020 and Benguela Cove Noble Late Harvest 2020 vintages. 

The Terroir Wine Awards, established in 2004, are a celebration of South African wines that authentically express their origin. The annual competition focuses on terroir and recognises wines that best showcase the natural environment in which the grapes are produced. The judges conduct blind tastings, and only products certified as Wine of Origin (WO) from a Single Vineyard, Estate, Ward, or District are eligible for entry. 

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, 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  

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Editors notes

Benguela Cove Catalina Semillon 2020

Benguela Cove Catalina Semillon 2020 is described by estate winemaker Johann Fourie as ethereal with a soft texture and youthful character, it boasts aromas of gooseberry, passion fruit, orange blossom, vanilla pods, and a hint of flinty gun smoke. The palate, while austere, balances exceptional length and fruit intensity, finishing with flavours of yellow plum, quince, shortbread biscuit, and a steely, saline-like aftertaste.

The grapes for this wine were handpicked in the cool morning and sorted in the cellar. After de-stemming and crushing, the grapes underwent two hours of skin contact. The juice was then settled for 24 hours, racked, and inoculated with a selected yeast strain. The wine was barrel fermented and matured for ten months in 50% new 500L French oak to add texture and complexity. 

Benguela Cove Noble Late Harvest 2020

Benguela Cove Noble Late Harvest 2020 relies on a mould growth called Botrytis Cinerea to concentrate sugars and modify flavours while the grapes are still on the vine. This process is heavily dependent on weather conditions and only occurs in years when the conditions are favourable.

The grapes for this wine were meticulously selected and harvested by hand. Different pickings helped build complexity and layers into the wines. After destemming, the fruit underwent 24 hours of cold maceration, followed by pressing to extract the highly concentrated juice. Fermentation occurred in both stainless steel tanks at 16°C.