The all-white trio of Simonsig wines that won Silver Best in Class includes the estate’s maiden vintage Simonsig Straw Wine 2009 made with 100% naturally sundried Muscat Ottonel grapes; the ever-popular unwooded Chenin Blanc 2011, and the lightly wooded, eloquent Chenin Avec Chêne 2009 – described by the judges as ‘one with good substance in the mouth with a rich character yet with a nice dry finish’.
As an acclaimed producer of some of the world’s finest expressions of Chenin blanc, Simonsig also received the highest recognition for its Chenin Avec Chêne 2009 in two other wine challenges earlier in the year. The wine scored the highest 5-star rating in the Grand Chenin: Loire vs South Africa Tasting organised by Eno WorldWine – one of the oldest and most popular German wine online publications and excelled on home turf as one of four Simonsig wines to have made the cut in the inaugural 2011 Top 100 SA Wine Challenge.
“Chenin blanc was the first wine released by my late father, Frans Malan, in 1968 and our Chenin Avec Chêne 2009 is a remarkable result of the experience of more than four decades of passionate dedication to this particular varietal,” shares Simonsig cellarmaster Johan Malan.
In addition to the three Silver Best in Class awards, Simonsig also clinched four silver and four bronze medals at this year’s International Wine and Spirit Competition.
