KWV'S CAPE BLEND GLORY CROWNS STELLAR YEAR FOR ITS MENTORS PEROLD
South Africa, Paarl, October 2021; A KWV wine that proudly bears the legacy of the Father of Pinotage has triumphed at this year's Perold Absa Cape Blend Wine Competition with no less than two of its vintages singled out for acclaim.
Enjoining what was one of the show's best performances this year, KWV The Mentors Perold made the Top Five with its 2019 vintage, whilst the 2018 made the Top 10.
The recognition is not a flash in the pan. In the ten years since 2012, The Mentors Perold has been in the Top Five of the competition every year bar two. Its 2017 vintage was awarded 97 points by Decanter. The 2018 Perold won the Revelation Trophy for the highest scoring South African wine at the 2021 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, a global benchmark of fine wines. The 2018 took Gold at the Mundus Vini this year while the Perold 2019 received Gold and at Gilbert & Gaillard, scoring 94 points.
The Perold ABSA Cape Blend competition annually assesses blends in which Pinotage is the dominant variety. KWV's performance was especially significant as the company is closely associated to the Pinotage grape variety through the legendary Professor Perold. Abraham Izak Perold joined the company since 1927 and made a huge contribution through the experimentation of new cultivars and improvement of quality control processes. It was Perold who first crossed Pinot Noir and Cinsault, creating Pinotage.
"We are naturally delighted with the results," says The Mentors winemaker Izele van Blerk. "Winning awards like these affirms that KWV is moving in the right direction in terms of evolving styles and quality.
"Professor Perold dedicated his life and his genius as a master of wine to influence every aspect of wine production," says Izele. "The same values and sense of quality and perfection that were his personal hallmarks are the essence of The Mentors Perold – an exceptional wine, named after an exceptional man.”
In the case of The Mentors Perold 2019, the growing season produced red varieties with “soft tannins with rich fruit and generosity". It was perfect for The Mentors winemaking team’s goals to produce a wine of balanced structure, concentration, and finesse. The grapes came mostly from Swartland, but also Stellenbosch, Darling, Wellington and Paarl. Components, with Pinotage, were Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Petite Sirah.
Fruit was hand-picked, sorted for quality and vinified. After fermentation, the most promising wines of each cultivar were chosen to mature further in barrel. After 12 months, the best wines were singled out and aged for another six months.
The result was a stylish wine characterised by multiple layers of fruit and spice, and silkiness on the palate. Made in a modern style, it displays the harmony with which Pinotage's fruit vibrancy and gentle tannins blend with the other varieties.
"The 2019 was the youngest of the Top Five wines at the Cape Blend competition, which speaks volumes about the depth of its sensory stature. It is certainly enjoyable now, but patience will be rewarded with careful cellaring for another eight to ten years from vintage," says Izele.
The Perold wines may be purchased online through https://www.shopsawine.co.za/kwv/24-shop-for-wine. Experience the KWV The Mentors wines through tours and tastings at the Emporium in Paarl. For more information, contact the KWV Emporium on 021 807 3007/8 or the_wine_emporium@kwv.co.za.
For press assistance contact Lise Manley of ManleySocial on 082 828 5168, email lise@publicity.co.za or visit the Press Room of ManleySocial at manleysocial.com
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