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Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate, the family-run wine farm in Hermanus, has won three double gold medals at the annual Veritas Wine Awards on 8th October 2022, where all the panel judges voted unanimously to award more than 93 points out of 100, achieved for a second successive year. 

“All of our wines are estate-grown, produced and bottled here. It’s a rarity these days, but it ensures that buyers know they are getting wines that are unique and authentic in style - and are now recognized consistently for their quality by a panel of independent judges,” says Johann Fourie, cellar master at Benguela Cove.

“It’s a big achievement in just 10 years, from when the Streeter family bought and invested in this very special place in the cool-climate Walker Bay region, located on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. It’s at the lowest height, at sea level, and with the longest seaboard of any vineyard in the world.”

Achieving the top awards for a sparkling, white and red wine as well shows the diversity and consistency of the estate’s portfolio, says Fourie.  He attributes this to the skills of the vineyard team in working with an unusually wide range of growing conditions – including the diversity of soil, slopes, and microclimates in the lagoon location, which is separated from the ocean by a sandbar.

Benguela Cove’s Estate Collage 2019 Red Blend, Joie de Vivre 2018, Cap Classique sparkling wine and Catalina Sémillon 2017 all received double gold, with a further gold for the Vinography Petit Verdot 2020.

The Collage 2019 Red Blend added to a series of recent triumphs that have included top awards in the Tim Atkin South African Special Report, Michelangelo, Winemag and Platter’s competitions.

The Catalina Sémillon 2017’s success in the museum class proves that this is a white wine that can age and improve in the bottle over time, says Fourie, bringing forth its intense, complex flavours.

Sparkling wine is a relatively recent focus for Benguela Cove, with its Joie de Vivre winning double gold for a second year in a row in Veritas, for only its second vintage. The cool climate of Walker Bay is synonymous with outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and the grapes are balanced to produce a sophisticated Méthode Cap Classique (MCC).

Veritas Awards:

The Veritas Awards is the longest-running and one of the most prestigious wine competitions in South Africa, dating back to 1991.

Wines and brandies are tasted blind in the review by the Veritas panel of experts. Scores are awarded according to the international 100-point scale: a double gold medal is achieved when the panel agrees on a score of 93 or more out of 100 for an entry and gold when a wine notches up 90 to 92.9 points.  

The most Double Gold medals per category, namely 12, went to Sauvignon Blanc, followed by Red Blends 9, and Chenin Blanc and Cap Classique 8 each.

The Veritas Awards this year drew 1,312 entries, which were judged by a jury of 70 local wine specialists during a five-day blind tasting session.